Girls Frontline: Support Echelon
by Gobehyz Marigold
Summary: Bryant is a retired G&K commander with no intention of returning. His plans change, however, when he is attacked at his office and forced to once again take up the mantle of "Commander".
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – Old Wounds**

The cool wind nipped at exposed skin and drove the inhabitants inside. The temperature divided the population: some took joy in the first warmth of the new year, while others chose to remain inside to avoid the lingering chill. The androids - the 'A-Dolls', Bryant corrected himself - scurried here and there to help with whatever task was assigned. Bryant paused to take in the scenery. It had been far too long, he thought, since he had seen peace.

He walked absentmindedly, following the crowd as they went about their routine. Bryant arrived at his destination; a small office building right next to a cute little café. Bryant stepped inside and caught the eye of the owner. "Ah, hello Mr. Bryant. The usual today?" He nodded and took a step back from the counter. The TV above them was turned to the news. It flashed clips of the battlefield.

Destroyed dolls littered the fields. The A-Dolls assisting with the café looked troubled, but kept working. "Damn…SF really is pushing for that sector." Bryant nodded quietly as the rest of the patrons commented. "Griffon is doing their best…but, it's not enough." Bryant felt a chill as the images fixed on dolls being recovered from combat. Bryant reached up and put his hand on his breast pocket. Once the camera moved on, Bryant took a sharp breath and relaxed. Someone bumped into him. Bryant was jolted from his trance.

"Oh, uh, excuse me." The stranger said. She looked up at him and smiled. Bryant gave a slight nod.

"Don't worry about it." The stranger left and Bryant picked up his things. He stopped and looked at the woman. She watched him out of the corner of her eyes. Bryant couldn't tell if she was interested or angry.

Bryant thanked the owner and left the café. He entered his building went to work. Hours of programming lay ahead of him. He sighed and began typing away. The news reports gnawed at his mind, bringing buried thoughts and feelings back to the forefront. The lights flickered suddenly. Bryant stopped and looked around. The power cut out. In the silence and darkness, Bryant heard gunshots and explosions. Everyone rushed to the windows, but couldn't see anything through the smoke and panic.

Bryant's phone buzzed. He retrieved it, and saw a notification. "Answer the call". Bryant didn't have time to process before his phone buzzed again. The phone buzzed as the call came through. Bryant answered. "Hello?"

"Good. You're calm. We need that." The voice said. It was a woman's voice, but scrambled.

"Who is this?"

"No time. The power comes on in twenty-two seconds. You'll need to – "

"No. Find someone else." Bryant hung up the phone and stared at it. He counted down, and the power came on shortly after a time. A few seconds later, his phone buzzed again. Bryant accepted the call but didn't say anything.

"You've lost some time, but we can still recover. You have thirty seconds until – " Bryant ended the call and blacklisted the number. He turned to window and watched with the rest of his coworkers. Through the smoke, they saw shades of purple and black roll down the streets. The emergency sirens turned on, and every building with power entered lockdown. Sangvis Ferri forces were attacking. Bryant and his company ran for the panic room. Bryant stayed behind to cover their escape. He drew his handgun and kept it at the ready.

His phone rang. The screen showed a number he didn't recognize. He pushed the button to hang up, but the phone kept ringing. Bryant answered. "Alright, talk."

"Damnit, Bryant! You aren't making this easy. Your building is going to lose power soon. Once the power is cut, you will have about a minute until – "

"I said find someone else! I don't know who you are, and I'll be damned if I take orders from a voice." The voice tried to argue again, "No, listen: you have resources and information. Go with your contingency plan. I'm not interested."

"Bryant, you _are_ the contingency plan." The lights flickered and once again he was left in darkened building. Sunlight passed through the smoke and windows. Bryant held the phone to his ear as the words finally sunk in. "You were not our first option, Bryant. We had over twenty contingencies in place, and you are the last one. You have sixty seconds." Bryant took a deep breath.

"What do you want from me?"

"Plans have been set in motion that have been sitting dormant for years. We are facing situations that can only be described as apocalyptic. We need someone of your skill and your experience on the frontline. You have thirty seconds."

"My skills?"

"You were a T-Doll Commander with Griffon for years, Bryant." Bryant shook his head and began pacing.

"I'm not working for them again! After all the shit I went through." Bryant began raising his voice. "You can't make me – "

"Bryant. A police T-Dolls is approaching. There is an SF patrol on an intercept path. Unless you intervene, the doll will perish and we may well lose the city. Its fate is in your hand. You have five seconds." The call disconnected. Bryant swallowed hard and turned to the hallway. If the doll tried to get to the panic room, the SF patrol would tear it apart. Bryant tightened the grip on his pistol. "My choice my ass." He muttered as he ran for the door.

As he approached, a T-Doll opened the door. A civilian protector USP Compact model. She gave a slight smile as Bryant came closer. "Three o'clock!" he called out as he slid into the hallway. USP braced herself and turned to take aim. The SF doll rounded the corner and opened fire. USP took a few direct hits, but dispatched the attacker. Bryant faced the opposite end of the hallway and put three bullets into an approaching sniper. Once the area was quiet again, USP leaned against the wall.

"Thank you, sir. You saved me." Bryant stood up and dusted off his leg. He nodded quietly. "Where are the others?"

"Panic Room. They got there safely." USP nodded. Bryant noticed 'blood' spilling from the wounds. The memories pricked at his heart, and his breast pocket felt heavier. He swallowed hard and pushed everything else out of his mind. "You're hurt. Let me help." Bryant fetched the first aid kit, but was stopped when his phone buzzed again. He handed the kit to the doll and answered.

"I knew we made the right choice with you, Bryant." Bryant looked at the doll, who was busy fixing up her wounds as best as possible.

"I'm not sure _I _made the right choice with you." The voice chuckled.

"As if you had a choice, Bryant. Head down to the first floor, south side men's restroom. There is a package waiting for you outside. Best of luck, Commander."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Maximum Threat Level**

Bryant walked down the stairs towards the package that was left for him. There was a hole blown in the wall. He let out a sigh as he looked through the hole into the café. Coffee and pastries were scattered about the rubble, and Bryant knew that the Café would never be the same. He swallowed hard as his chest tightened. There were a lot of bodies. Bryant shook his head and kept walking: careful to step over the lose rubble.

Once he had pushed the café out of his mind, he found the 'dead drop'. There was a small military cache. The metal case was covered in blood. A young woman still clutched it close to her chest, even in death. Bryant gently pried the box from her hands and opened it. Technical gear filled the box. Among the things was a large PDA, nearly a tablet. Bryant put in the included earpiece and turned on the device. "I see you found the cache. How is Alison?" Bryant took a quick glance at the woman.

"Dead." Bryant muttered.

"Damn…that puts us back. Is everything else working?" Bryant nodded, then remembered the voice couldn't see him.

"Yes, everything is fine."

"Good." The voice said, finally with a hint of satisfaction. Bryant stood slowly as he took the rest of his gear with him. He paused and looked down at the body. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bryant turned and walked out into the streets. The chaos had moved on. "Head west, south-west about five kilometers. There will be an alley."

"Right across from the general store, yeah."

"Without Alison this is going to be harder. She had all the override codes." Bryant nodded and kept walking. "Keep going, I'll – "

"Hey! Sir, this way." Bryant glanced over his shoulder at the USP doll. "Sir, you cannot go that way. It's not safe!"

"Nowhere is safe, little one." He turned around and made a sweeping gesture with his arms. He started walking backwards as he continued. "Official Griffon business. Can't have civilian protectors getting hurt." USP stood still for a moment. Processing either Bryant's nonchalance or his defiance. Bryant faced front and kept marching. USP jogged to catch up with him.

"I don't think you heard me! I said it's not safe." USP tried to say. Halfway through the statement, her eyes went wide and her body went limp. Despite himself, Bryant lunged forward and caught the doll. The voice on the earpiece stuttered and cursed.

"SF has taken the police station. All Civilian protectors have been shut down. Aaaand there goes the Griffon Outpost." The voice when silent for a bit as Bryant carried the doll into the alley. He pulled out his tablet. "Great…we're out of time."

"Not necessarily. You didn't do you homework."

"Excuse me?"

"Give me the backup code for this USP model."

"Why?" the voice asked. Bryant rolled up one of USP's sleeves and poked around on the wrist. "IOP made T-Dolls have an emergency 'Body Guard' protocol. A single echelon can be commanded from a local radio source."

"Your PDA? But how much range does it have?"

"About…forty feet?" Bryant took his knife and cut a small patch of synthetic flesh off of USP's wrist and plugged the PDA into an emergency port. "No, probably about thirty. Anyway, send the override." The PDA flashed for a second, and USP's eyes fluttered. She took a sharp breath and jolted. After a few seconds, she stilled and let Bryant finish the work. "Alright, we are in business."

"Alright, you have one doll. What now?"

"We find others. Find me some ARs, okay?" Bryant turned the volume down on the earpiece and turned to USP. "You alright?"

"Y-yeah. But…what did you do to me? What happened?" Bryant calmed her down and turned to his PDA.

"The police station was taken, as was the emergency outpost. It is no exaggeration to say that you are the last functioning IOP doll in the city." USP seemed to grow pale. He slumped down and pulled her knees into her chest.

"I'm…alone. I can't fight them all." Bryant delivered a gently reprimanding blow to her head.

"Enough. You'll be fine. And I'm here, don't worry." He flashed a smile. It was brief. He suddenly looked pained, and his smile vanished. Bryant finished his maintenance and stood. "You should be fine. Stay close and you'll still be able to function." Bryant helped USP stand. She still looked hesitant. "Now, we have a list of candidates." Bryant scanned, selecting the few that fit his needs. USP held out her hand and tried to get Bryant's attention. "Yes?"

"The SWAT dolls were deployed to the east station. We could recruit some of them."

"The most useful doll in the SWAT team is a Sten Model. We're better off grabbing the Vector unit by the overpass."

"But Miss FAMAS has explosives! We could –" Bryant held up a hand.

"Enough. How far is the station from the overpass?" USP chimed in.

"We have to pass the station on the way." Bryant nodded.

"Fine then, that's the plan. We pick up FAMAS from the station, then the others." The voice huffed.

"If that's what needs to be done. Griffon has been alerted. They will be here in three hours. Hopefully, you can deal with them before they arrive." Bryant chuckled darkly. He motioned to USP and the two walked off towards the east station. The pair kept aware for enemies. The east station was smaller than the others. Not many passengers used these trams. A small tram sat docked in the station. Fallen SF and IOP dolls lay scattered in pieces. Bryant pushed them out. They were only machines, he told himself. USP wasn't handling it as well as him. She covered her mouth with tears slowly running down her face.

"Not used to this, huh lass?" USP shook her head vigorously. Bryant nodded. "Well," he said, his voice chilling, "Give it time. You will." Even though he spoke with such indifference, Bryant was still careful to not step on the IOP bodies. The parked tram had small lights flickering inside. Either light sticks or flares. Bryant wedged an SF body out of the door and pried it open. A hand reached out and yanked him off balance. USP readied her gun and so did the dolls inside the tram. Bryant fell back into a small puddle of 'blood' and stared into the eyes of the surviving SWAT dolls. The leader, FAMAS, slowly lowered her weapons and gave a coy smile.

"Oh? Well what have we here?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Side Questing**

FAMAS and STEN lowered their weapons and greeted Bryant and USP. They closed the small door to the tram and sat down in the dimness. Bryant quickly explained the situation and tended to the dolls as best he could. FAMAS sighed a bit as Bryant applied some bandages. They talked while they worked, discussing strategy and such. Once he had finished bandaging FAMAS, he turned to his tablet and began checking on the other dolls on his list. FAMAS and USP leaned up against him to look over his shoulders.

"Oh? Searching for survivors, or building a team?" FAMAS whispered in her sultry French accent. USP gave her a glare and nodded.

"Yes, we are."

"But I cannot leave this place. We cannot abandon our orders." USP straightened up.

"But, how are you still operating? I thought with the police station gone – "

"Oh? Oh, yes." FAMAS slipped her jacket from her shoulders, revealing a small implant in her shoulder. "A stop-gap measure, but it will let the SWAT Dolls operate for another few hours. Or, until the SF forces break down the door." She sighed. Bryant couldn't help but notice that FAMAS was very forward with everything she did. Bryant had never noticed before. USP was serious and reserved. It reminded him of another Doll he knew.

"Well…if we shored up your position here, could the SWAT team come with us?" FAMAS put a finger to her lip for a second and hummed.

"Certainly. Let's see…If you can somehow block their entrance through the west door, STEN and FAL could handle the rest."

"Wait, a FAL unit was here?" FAMAS shrugged.

"Yeah, there was. She went off to find the rest of the dolls. She wouldn't have a problem with my leaving. She's a big girl, no?" She said with a giggle. Bryant narrowed his eyes in annoyance. She had to be doing this intentionally. "And, if you're willing, I have a suggestion." Bryant nodded. "Well," FAMAS started, "there is a small Café near here. There is a support beam for the highway near there. If you can set and explosive in the café, the highway would collapse and buy us a lot of time."

"Fine. USP, let's get going." Bryant brushed himself off and grabbed his gear. FAMAS handed him a small chunk of C4 and smiled.

"Good luck out there, _Commander ._" Her words dripped with playful sarcasm and she had an impish smile on her tired face. She was doing this to keep morale up, Bryant thought. It wouldn't make sense to be 'doom and gloom' after all. He put the C4 in his bag and ran off with USP. Once out of earshot, USP huffed.

"I can't believe her; such a disgrace to the department." Bryant smiled and quickly checked his map. "She was so forward and inappropriate! I don't care if she is the veteran of the force, such deportment is unacceptable."

"Well, considering the circumstances…" Bryant trailed off and rounded the corner. He ran into a woman who was running in the other direction. She slammed into Bryant and knocked him over. USP didn't stop in time and ended up tripping over Bryant. The woman apologized profusely, then looked at Bryant.

"You! Are you with the police?!" Bryant groaned and slowly got up to his knees.

"More or less." The woman dropped to her knees and grabbed Bryant by the shoulders. She shook him lightly, with tears in her eyes.

"Please, you have to help them! My family is in danger!" USP sat up and looked at her.

"Commander, that's a Springfield doll. Where did she come from?" The earpiece in Bryant's ear buzzed.

"A Springfield? She wasn't on the roster…" Bryant nodded and put a gentle hand on Springfield's head.

"Fine, let's go." USP stuttered for a second.

"Commander! We cannot afford any detours." Bryant turned and helped both dolls to their feet. "Please, we have to get to the support beam."

"USP, its our job to save people where we can. Now I don't want to be mean, but I'll order you to if I have to." A look of shock spread across the smaller doll's face. It twisted and churned until it settled on mildly irritated.

"Fine. Let's go." The three collected their scattered belongings and followed Springfield.

The Springfield doll was different from most. She wore civilian clothing, not her standard Griffon uniform. Her rifle was battered and rusted from lack of care and use. Bryant doubted it could shoot without exploding, but also didn't doubt the doll's etching. She probably knew the limits of the rifle when she picked it up. He mused over these thoughts and stratagems while the group followed Springfield. They arrived at the café FAMAS mentioned in a few minutes.

"This doesn't look like SF business." Bryant said as he poked at a half-destroyed SF doll.

"What makes you say that?" USP asked. Bryant pointed to the surroundings as he talked.

"A working vehicle, no bullet holes in the building, and three squads' worth of destroyed SF dolls." Bryant gave one last kick, dislodging the destroyed doll's head. He stood up and made some strange mutterings. "Best case scenario: looters." Springfield shuddered.

"What's the w-w-worst case?" Bryant shook his head.

"Anti-Android fanatics." He whispered softly. Even the ever-nagging voice in his ear was silent. Springfield and USP shuddered. "USP, you have a targeting assist subroutine, correct?" USP nodded slightly. "Good. Start running it: share the targeting information with Springfield." The smaller doll nodded and closed her eyes. Springfield straightened up suddenly, then relaxed. Bryant walked in first, his sidearm out and his eyes filled with cruelty. "Follow me in. Stay hidden. USP, you are leading this operation: engage at your discretion."

Bryant's footsteps echoed in the small room. USP and Springfield followed soon after. Voices were heard from one of the back rooms. "Where is the damn machine?!"

"I don't know!" Springfield tensed up. That voice must belong to one of her family. A woman from the sound of it.

"You let her escape, where did you send her?!" A man and a woman whimpered from inside. Bryant took a deep breath. He entered the room and counted five fanatics. They all looked at him, stunned. "What the – "

"I'll ask the damn questions, bastards." Bryant interrupted. He glared at the leader, the one holding the woman at gunpoint. The rest of them froze in their tracks. USP and Springfield stood out of sight and waited. USP swallowed hard, and she felt a strange feeling well up inside of her. What was it, she wondered? "Leave the couple and you can keep your lives." The fanatics stuttered out various replies. The commander spoke again. "I'll say again, in simpler words for you idiots: leave or die." Poison dripped from his words. It was not a threat, it was a promise. One Bryant intended to make good on. USP finally realized what that feeling was. Fear, in its most raw form.

Bryant extended his firearm to his right side. The barrel became level with one of the enemies. "Last chance." He said, maintaining eye contact with the leader. Everyone held their breath for the split second before hell broke loose. One of them made a small movement. Maybe he was reaching for a weapon, maybe not. Bryant didn't know and he sure as hell didn't care. He pulled the trigger, instantly killing the one. USP and Springfield ran in. Taking advantage of USP's targeting data, they took aim and fired. Five gunshots produced five kills. The bodies fell limp to the ground, and silence returned.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – The First Move**

Springfield and her family held each other and quietly sobbed as Bryant and USP moved the bodies out of the room. Bryant looked tired; his body moved like it was worn and his eyes seemed distant. He sat down after the work was done and stared blankly out into the street. USP stood idly next to him, waiting for Springfield to finish so they could plant the explosives. "Um…commander? Are you alright?" She asked meekly. Bryant nodded and took a slow breath.

"Yeah, I guess…I just don't like these guys." Bryant played with a small ring before putting it back in his pocket. "Lots of bad memories." USP sat down next to him. "Honestly, I'm surprised I even gave them a chance to leave. I don't think I could have done that a year ago." USP inched closer.

"What…what happened?" Bryant swallowed hard. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"A lot." He whispered and clenched his fists. "I'm just not ready to say, yet. Maybe later." He relaxed his fists and nodded. "Anyway, we need to move. I'm certain an SF patrol will be here soon." The voice in his ear, which had been silent for some time, finally chimed back in.

"You are correct, Bryant. There is a rather large patrol. They'll be at the tram station very soon. If you are going to do that thing for FAMAS, you'd best hurry." Bryant muttered in agreement. Springfield came out with her family.

"I can't thank you enough, Commander. If it's okay with you, I'm going to help you take down these SF dolls."

"But, what about your family?" Springfield nodded.

"I think they'll take cover in the tram station nearby. You mentioned it was safe, right?" Bryant nodded.

"Yeah, it should be pretty safe. I'll take you there once I set the charge." Bryant stood and walked to the back with the explosives. USP stood in silence as he disappeared.

"Springfield, are you really sure? The Commander seems a bit…reckless." USP asked. Springfield smiled and put a finger to her chin.

"Oh, I can see that. But I think a little risk is alright."

"Springfield." USP said as her face narrowed into a look of skepticism, "He's literally listening to a voice in his head."

"Yes?"

"He walked into a room full of armed hostiles!"

"And?" Bryant stepped out of the back room and pushed a button on his tablet. There was a bright flash and a blast blew debris into the main room. Bryant brushed off his shoulder and nodded towards the dolls. USP motioned to Bryant in disbelief. Springfield just smiled.

"Charge is placed." There was a loud rumble outside. "Yeah, shit, we need to run." Bryant grabbed USP's hand and the group sprinted out of the building. A few minutes after, the highway section overhead started to collapse. By then, the group was well out of range. USP began to chide the commander for his recklessness. Bryant nodded and seemed attentive. But, USP wasn't quite sure if she got through to him. Finally, USP gave up and walked the rest of the way to the tram station in petty silence.

At the tram station, the remaining SWAT dolls were fortifying up their position. A few more dolls had come online. FAMAS was working on getting the dolls prepared and also making sure there was room for the civilians. Bryant knocked gently on one of the walls and FAMAS walked over. "Ah, Commander!" Bryant couldn't help by crack a smile. She had relaxed significantly, and her accent had gotten stronger. She looked and sounded much better, much less stressed. "I am pleased to see you are unharmed. And that you were able to finish your mission." Bryant nodded and shrugged.

"What can I say? I aim to please." FAMAS leaned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Your flattery is not befitting of a commander, Commander. No then," She turned to grab her equipment. Bryant noticed her combat information appear on his tablet, alongside details on two additional dummy units. FAMAS and two of her dummies. "Commander, I have left two of my dummies here to assist in peacekeeping and defense. With your permission, I shall accompany you with these."

"The more, the merrier. Welcome aboard, FAMAS." he said. He looked back down at his tablet. With the addition of FAMAS, that brought his combat efficiency high enough to take some risks. Well, more risks. He put away the technical information and brought up the satellite map. SF was now firmly entrenched: it would take a small miracle for their small team to break through their main line. Bryant looked for options, ideas: something that would work. "FAMAS, USP, what do you two know about the police station?"

USP nodded. "Let's see...I know that there is a mainframe for all the civilian protector neural clouds."

"And the signal transmitter for the defense dolls." FAMAS spoke up. The two dolls began chatting strategy and combat options, but the voice in Bryant's ear began to speak again.

"Commander, good news for once." The voice began. There was a little more static on the line, and what sounded like distant gunfire. "A passing Griffon support team caught the distress signal. They are deploying on the other side of the highway you collapsed." Bryant sighed.

"That's damn good news."

"The only problem is, they won't be able to shut down the signal in the police station. You'll need to get there and shut down the SF signals, or the enemy might cause even more damage after the command post is taken."

"So; get to the police station, shut it down, and wait for backup. I can handle that." The voice was quiet. The gunfire was getting louder.

"Bryant. I appreciate the confidence, I really do, but these dolls are not to be taken lightly. They outnumber and outgun you five to one. Even with FAMAS, you don't stand much of a chance."

"I don't think you would have strung me along this far if it was hopeless."

"Bryant, there are twenty squads of enemies between you and the police station! You'll never make it in one piece."

"Who says we have to fight them all?" The voice was silent at Bryant's reply. USP and FAMAS stared at him quietly. "Springfield and USP only have enough ammunition or rations for a handful more encounters. I'm almost certain FAMAS doesn't have that much. I'll work out a route where we only need to fight one or two battles. Then, take the police station." The voice was silent again.

"How did you come up with that so quickly? It's... impractical. You should want to destroy as many of the enemy as possible."

"No... it's not about destroying them. It's about stopping them. Why fight through an army, when you can kill the one guy guarding their lifeline?" The line was silent again.

"I'm sorry, but I think you should leave this to your betters." Bryant said and pulled the earpiece out. He turned to his dolls. "Alright, let's finish this."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions**

Bryant tapped away at his tablet, trying to keep himself occupied as the dolls prepared for combat operations. He had tried to get in contact with the Griffon team, but attempting to communicate in Sangvis Ferri territory was tricky. Any misstep could spread Paraplue. And that was a risk not worth taking. So, Bryant played it safe. Kept comms local, tried to keep himself busy as he watched the SF troops realign themselves. Bryant double and triple checked their patterns: they were arranging themselves differently. They were spreading out, covering all possible attack routes evenly. Almost as if they had read his mind. Something was very, very wrong.

Bryant sighed and shook his head. His eyes were playing tricks on him again. He stared at the screen and thought for a moment. "If we went through the sewers...we could probably sneak up right by the police station." He mumbled to himself. He was so engrossed in his thoughts, it gave USP time to sneak up behind him.

"Commander, we are ready." She said innocently. Bryant jumped, completely unaware.

"Ah...yes. Sorry, change of plans." The dolls looked at him curiously. Bryant shrugged and put on a pained smile. "Not gonna lie, it's a shitty plan."

Bryant, Springfield, and FAMAS walked down the sewer, counting streets. USP was on Bryant's back; her shoes were too short for her to be traipsing around in sewage. FAMAS and Springfield complained about the smell and the uncomfortable feelings. But, at least they had boots. FAMAS stopped and pointed up at the manhole cover above them. Bryant nodded silently and maneuvered around to put USP on the ladder. She nodded and climbed to the top as quietly as she could. Bryant waited at the bottom until USP tapped the ladder. Bryant went up next, followed by the others. The street was quiet, and they were hidden well. Bryant quickly pulled out his tablet and looked around.

"I count…three squads inside. This is going to be a tough battle." The dolls nodded and Bryant get next to the door. "Alright, here's the tentative plan: FAMAS, breach and clear; USP, targeting information; Springfield, you take shots when you can." The dolls got into position. "On my mark..." The dolls' combat routines activated. Several targets were already marked, and the others inside the building were slowly coming into view. Bryant nodded slightly and gave the order. "Breach!"

Bryant opened the door, and FAMAS moved into action. She fired a grenade into the room, shredding most of the first squad apart. The scrap and synthetics covered the entry way. "USP, you take point. Line formation: keep it tight in there ladies." USP moved in first, and began spotting targets. Several enemy dolls began to pour in.

"Left side, FAMAS!"

"On it!" The doll turned and began to open fire. Lots of little ones; the Dinergates. Assault Rifles made short work of them. But there were a lot. USP looked up.

"Springfield! Snipers in the back, I'll focus on the armor." USP drew the attention of the SF Heavy infantry, ones carrying shields and high-powered, short ranged handguns. While they were distracted, Springfield took shots at the Jeager sniper units behind them. Bryant ran in shortly after, helping USP with the Heavy Infantry.

"Alright, switch to Chevron formation: USP and I will take point. Push to the center." USP and Bryant fell back slightly, pulling the enemies forward. Springfield stepped out to the side, and the group formed a small triangle. This push gave the small team the time they needed to push back the enemy. FAMAS fired another grenade, destroying the sF scout units. Springfield finished off the snipers while Bryant fought off the Heavy Infantry. After a short firefight, all was quiet again.

Bryant sat down at a computer and punched in a Griffon Access code. The computer opened up and gave him access to the critical systems. Bryant began to type away at the computer. "Alright, go into defense mode. Keep an eye on the entrances...this should only take..." he trailed off as he continued to type. Status information appeared on screen. He mumbled to himself as he searched for commands, entered information, and sighed when he hit and SF firewall.

FAMAS took a deep breath. "Ah, the commander is good at this. I've never seen a human work this fast." USP and Springfield agreed.

"Well, I spend seven years of my life learning SF codes and patterns. Then another three using it against them."

"Oh? Were you a soldier?" Bryant shook his head. He stopped mid-word and looked out the nearby window.

"Yeah, something like that. I just saw movement. Remove targeting restrictions." Several humanoid forms were outlined in the dolls' line of sight.

"I count...ten? Twelve." Bryant cursed and worked faster. "Commander, these are human. What if they are injured?"

"They are likely AA Troopers. All armed unknowns are to be treated as hostile." Bryant said as he finished. "SF signal will be down in twenty seconds. We'll meet up with the Griffon Team -" Before he finished, several small grenades flew into the building. They landed a good distance from Bryant, likely in an effort to avoid breaking any critical electronics. A flash of light exploded from the objects, and all nearby electronics began smoking and sparking. "Good ol EMPs." Bryant muttered as he picked up his things. "Fall back!"

The dolls backed up into another section of the station. The Anti-Android soldier rushed in to try and flank them, but got attacked by SF dolls. Hell broke loose, and soon Bryant fell back on his old survival instincts: shoot anything purple. A safe strategy when facing SF dolls. As the two factions fought, stragglers would run by where Bryant and his dolls were hiding. An SF light infantry, a Ripper model, spotted them and hesitated. It took a step towards Bryant and Bryant opened fire. Springfield and FAMAS began firing, pushing the enemy back. Once again, after several close calls, the station became silent. "Alright, let's get out of here."

USP and FAMAS confirmed. They began to collect their things and switched back to civilian mode. All but Springfield, who wasn't with the rest of them. Bryant took a quick glance at his tablet, assessing damages. USP was badly wounded, barely operating above 30%. FAMAS had lost a single dummy and was at 55%. Springfield wasn't showing up. "FAMAS, USP; meet up the Griffon team and get a repair team." Bryant stood and entered the station. "I'll get Springfield."

The carnage inside the station was bad. Between the dolls' and the dead AA troops, there was hardly an inch of the grey tile not covered in the red-brown mix of blood and mechanical fluids. Bryant closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He muttered to himself and calmed his nerves. He started sorting through the bodies, including pulling small 'trophies' from the SF dolls. Finally, he arrived at a wounded Springfield. She whined quietly as she clutched her stomach. Bryant leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder. His face softened and he tired to speak quietly. "Hey are you alright?" She smiled weakly and shook her head.

"I don't…" She grunted in pain, "it hurts." Bryant nodded and moved her hand. She resisted, but Bryant still spotted several bleeding wounds dotting her body.

"Springfield, let me see."

"N-no, you…you can't."

"Yes, I can." Bryant fought her for a bit before she finally lost the strength to hold him back. Bryant moved her arms to her sides and held his breath. Bryant counted twenty-seven separate bullet wounds from her neck down to her waist and everywhere in between. Some of them were fresh, but many were old.

"Damn… right through the core. I think you punctured your generator." Springfield shivered. "I…I'm sorry, Springfield. But why didn't you tell me?" She reached up to him. Bryant took her hand and gently pulled her closer.

"I didn't…want to…worry anyone." A small tear ran down her face. "Please…" She tried to stand, and fell backwards into his arms, knocking him over. "Ah…"

"I'm sorry; probably should have expected this." Springfield shook her head again.

"Don't…worry. You saved my family, and that's all that counts." She smiled, even though the pain was evident on her face. "Just…" her eyes dimmed, and her hand went limp. Her body gave out a small mechanical whine as her systems powered down for the last time. Bryant held her lifeless hand for a few more moments, before draping his jacket over her. He propped her up against a nearby wall, and gave her a small salute. With that, Bryant turned and walked out of the station.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – New Beginnings in an Old Jacket**

Bryant hated the red jackets that Griffon Commanders wore. It was irritating on the eyes, and it brought thoughts of death and blood to the front of his mind. What made him more uncomfortable was the gazes he got from the escort dolls. Those eyes that held unmistakable curiosity and kindness. Bryant couldn't make eye contact for long. He didn't think his heart could take it.

The commander that picked him up, miraculously, was an old friend. That had put him on the fast-track out of the destroyed city. No paper work or waiting for identification. However, this commander insisted rather strongly that Bryant meet with Helianthus in person. The thought of seeing that woman again filled Bryant with very mixed feelings.

Bryant made his way down familiar corridors and past familiar faces. He reached the door to Helianthus's office and took a deep breath. He knocked twice and waited.

"Come in." her voice echoed, only slightly annoyed. He heard movement on the other side, perhaps she already had company. Bryant sighed and opened the door.

"Miss Helian…good to see you again." Bryant said with all the finesse and charm he could manage. It wasn't much, probably because of all the soot and tears from his encounter. Helian, on the other hand, looked picture perfect. Her brown hair came down just over her shoulders, and her jacket was clean, pressed, and buttoned up. She looked flawless, even without her makeup, and her monocle was perfectly positioned over her right eye. Bryant wasn't sure if she used it to read, or to make herself look more intimidating.

Next to Helian's desk stood the other woman who put him through the wringer: Scientist Persica. She was the exact opposite of Helian. Her clothing, hair, and face all gave the impression that she hadn't slept in weeks. The oversized cup of coffee in her hand proved it. She had dark circles under her eyes, and listening to her voice made Bryant tired as well. Her lab coat was tossed haphazardly over whatever clothes she happened to wear that day. He was surprised the coat had only one small coffee stain.

Bryant nodded towards the scientist. "Doctor." She made a happy greeting noise and sipped some coffee. Helian just grunted. "The Commander who picked me up told me to come see you."

"Yes. Take a seat, Bryant." She said. Bryant suppressed every urge in his body to roll his eyes and sat down. The chair was not comfortable by any stretch, but every muscle in his body burned from the exhaustion. He'd sleep well tonight…if he could get the faces of the dead out of his mind. "We received an anonymous tip that Sangvis was marching in force against the city. Did you have anything to do with that?" He shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine, ma'am. I sure wasn't me." He stretched a bit, and felt his body fight him. Helian glanced at Persica, who was nervously gnawing on an already short nail. "Is…something wrong?"

Persica nodded. "Bryant…the call we received mentioned you by name." Bryant nodded and pulled the earpiece from his pocket.

"Let me guess: woman's voice? Modified to hell and back." Helian nodded. "I have my own theories, but I'll keep them to myself for now." He turned to Persica and pointed to the earpiece. The doctor nodded, took it, and put it in her coat pocket.

"I'll study this…tonight." Bryant sighed.

"You really should get some sleep."

"Not until -" she stopped herself mid-sentence and took a sip of coffee. "Not until I finish." Bryant knew better than to pry. Especially not with Persica.

"So, are we done here?" Bryant asked. "I'm really beat. And I haven't eaten in about twelve hours." Helian nodded.

"For now. I'll let the dolls in the mess know to give you some food." Bryant nodded and stood.

"Thanks." He turned to walk out, but stopped right by the door. "Hey…what happened to the USP model that was with me? They loaded her up on a different helicopter."

"You did fry her memory core when you…well, broke her. They took her to the repair bay. I'll have her sent to the mess hall when they finish up." Bryant nodded and thanked her. He turned to leave, but Helian spotted him pull the worn ring from his breast pocket before he left. "Can't let her go, can you Bryant?" she mumbled and turned to Persica. A small droplet of blood trickled down her finger from where she had been biting.

"Helian…I'm worried." Helian nodded.

"As am I. It isn't a coincidence, and I'm positive he doesn't believe that either." Helian pulled a small stack of papers out of the drawer and looked at them again. Four doll designs. 'Dossiers', really. "This close…"

"Helian…"

"I'll authorize the mission. And, I'll accelerate the program for the RO635 unit just in case." Persica stopped chewing and looked at Helian. She sat at her desk and put a hand on her chin. "Whoever did this wants Bryant onboard for some reason. I say, we play this game of theirs for now. Afterall, Bryant has a knack for getting himself out of strange messes." Helian nodded again. "Presica: prepare for mission. I'll get a list of all Sector Nine commanders."

Bryant sat quietly. A few of the security officers stopped to check his credentials, but it was a quiet and lonely meal. USP staggered in about an hour after Bryant sat down. She sat down next to him and leaned into him. "I'm…tired." Bryant nodded and awkwardly gave her a pat on her head.

"You did good, kid. Get some sleep. I'll be here a while." She nodded and gave a sleepy reply before falling asleep. After a few minutes, a small detail of soldiers came into the mess hall, escorting Helian. This was something official. Bryant sighed and put both hands on the table. "Look, if you're gonna arrest me, at least let the kid sleep a bit longer."

"That's not why I'm here, Bryant." She held out a small box, a briefcase. It was scarred and beaten up. Bryant raised an eyebrow.

"I retired. I was deemed unfit for duty."

"Well, we need to make an exception. Something is stirring, Bryant. And we need someone with your…talents."

"You mean you need a War-Dog. Those days are gone, Helian…it took everything I had…" He took a deep breath. His body shook, and the heat drained from his body.

"You survived, Bryant. That's what you do and that's what we need." Bryant lowered his eyes to the worn case. He knew what was inside, unless they had moved. Inside were all the tools and the spare neural clouds that had survived his last mission as a Griffon Commander. "Please. Will you accept."

Bryant took a quick glance at USP. She was sleeping peacefully on his arm. He couldn't put her in danger. He shook his head, and spoke in a whisper. "I can't do it, Helian…I can't lead them like that."

Helian sighed for a moment. "Fine then. I can't conscript you, anyway. But," She motioned to USP, "I can't let her go with you. I'm not trying to blackmail you, Bryant: but she's equipped with a Griffon combat core, and must remain under Griffon employ."

"Helian, I'm not – "

"You won't need to go on sweep and clear or reclamation missions: I'll put you in a supporting role. You won't need to get aggressive unless you want to." Bryant thought about that for a moment. Not the offer, but the tone of Helian's voice. It was almost as if she were pleading with him, not asking him. He held the advantage in this negotiation. And he didn't like that. He sighed, defeated once again.

"My old jacket won't fit…I'm a bit bigger now." Helian nodded and left the briefcase with Bryant.

"I'm pleased to have you back, Commander Bryant."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Back in Action**

Bryant adjusted his coat as he and USP walked through the main gate of Base 09-882. His hair and beard were trimmed, his clothes were pressed, and his new jacket shone in the mid-afternoon sun. He wore a black 'safari hat', which held his reading glasses. There were small patches of fabric sew onto the inside of the hat carrying various encouraging messages. Bryant didn't wear it often, but he did keep it around as a personal item. He wore 'non-regulation' boots that were built more for combat and constant use than the lighter, less dangerous work of a base commander.

USP had changed out of her police uniform that Civilian Protector models. She wore a long sleeved formal blue blazer with a small black tie with an extremely short white skirt. She wore a small pack on her hip, which contained various supplies and necessities. A thigh bag held spare ammunition for her weapon. She wore knee high blue socks, and neatly polished black shoes. To complete her transformation, she wore a small blue hat. Bryant had joked that she was copying him. She responded by blushing and looking away.

The two of them walked side by side into the main room of the base. A few spare dolls greeted them quickly as they rushed around. "Understaffed and undermanaged." He muttered as another A-Doll rushed past him. "This is a mess." USP nodded in agreement.

"I can't believe the Commander is letting this go on." The two of them entered the Command center to find the commander. It was empty, save for a single doll manning the communication array. She nodded politely to Bryant and returned to her work. "This is…strange." Bryant shrugged.

"Let's look for the Logistics Officer…the base_ has_ to have one: doll or not." The two went across the way and entered the data room. The room was barren and filled with non-functional equipment. It looked like the mix of a graveyard for tech and the staging area for a move. There was a young girl sound asleep at a data-entry desk. USP turned to Bryant, and saw a smile on his face. The first real smile she had seen.

"Well I'll be damned!" He said loudly. The woman jolted awake and looked startled. She quickly straightened out her hair and stood up.

"I'm sorry, I was just finishing up the data, and –" She stopped mid-sentence and stared at Bryant. A massive smile appeared on her face, and she ran up to Bryant. "I can't believe it's you! I thought you retired." She gently poked his shoulder. "Wow~"

"Yea, I did retire. It's a long story, but I'm back." She nodded and gave the commander a quick hug. Bryant returned the hug. "This one's on the house, by the way." Bryant laughed.

"Gonna start charging me for the next one, huh?" The girl stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Of course! I have a reputation to keep." She put her hands on her hips. "But wow…it's amazing to see you here." Bryant nodded. He was fairly certain Helian had set him up again. The woman turned to face USP. "And who is this cutie?" USP saluted.

"USP Compact, ma'am." Bryant put a hand on her head.

"Well, I'm Logistics Officer Kalina. Some of the others call me Kalin, too. Welcome aboard." Kalina turned to Bryant. "Now, to business: why are you here? The new commander isn't supposed to arrive for a week." A look of confusion formed on Bryant's face.

"Huh…that explains the staffing issues. Well, what have you been doing?" Kalin shrugged.

"The usual: data entry, logistic support, and occasionally leading the defense team." Bryant nodded. She was doing some fine work, even though they were badly understaffed. "Honestly, some days I'm bored silly…" she trailed off and looked at the stack of repair/retirement forms, "and other days we just barely hang on."

"Well, while I'm here…. I'll take up some of the work." Kalina smiled.

"Great! I'd appreciate that, Commander." She handed him her tablet and a set of keys. "Your equipment will come when the new commander arrives, so you can use mine until then."

"If you are certain. Now then, could you take me to Dummy Storage?" Kalina nodded.

"Of course. Right this way, Commander."

Dummy Storage was filled with incomplete dolls. Most of their cosmetics were in place, and they were fully functioning. However, they received minor upgrades depending on which doll they were assigned to. However, with the right applications, the dummies could be used to make a 'main unit' doll. Bryant was given a small ration of combat cores. Hopefully it would be enough.

"Alright, let's see who we have left." Bryant pulled a large black box from inside his briefcase. He plugged it into the main terminal and accessed the neural clouds within. He scrolled down while talking to himself. USP leaned over his shoulder and watched as a truly amazing number of names passed by.

"Are all those yours? Commander, that's got to be at least two hundred!"

"Two hundred seventeen, to be exact." He muttered soberly. He clicked a record and deleted it before USP could get a good look. The only word she was able to read before he did was 'Oath'. "Each and every one of them was special in their own way." He paused and pointed to three records. Each one was an identical doll, with identical information. The only things that differed were their combat role and their neural cloud data. "These three used to be on separate logistics teams." He pointed to the middle one. "The other two were so serious, but this one always got into some kind of trouble. Kalin used to put her on logistic duty to keep her off base." Bryant let out a sad chuckle.

"I've been meaning to ask, Commander. How do you and miss Kalina know each other?" Bryant nodded and was quiet for a moment. He erased a few more records before stopping.

"Before we met, I used to work for Griffon. I had been working with them for a little less than ten years." He continued typing. "I retired a few years back. But, to answer your question, Kalina was training under my logistics officer for the last year or so I was there." He finished clearing a good number of the records and sighed.

"Why did you retire, commander?" Bryant didn't hear her and didn't respond. After a couple of seconds, he finished and leaned back in his chair.

"Seven functioning records…damnit. That's depressing…" He trailed off and reached for a small chain around his neck. "I had hoped…that there would have been…more." Bryant's voice started to quiver and break. He took a sharp breath and rubbed his eyes.

"What happened to their records?"

"…a lot." He recovered and activated the repair protocols. "Anyway…I'll have Recon team 'Bravo' and what's left of Patrol Team 'Copper' up and running in a few hours." He stood and turned to leave.

"Commander!" USP started, then stopped. "Umm…" he turned to look at her. "If…if you ever want to talk…" he gave a smile and nodded. "My opinion of you won't change, commander. So…"

"Yes…thanks, sweet-" He stopped. "…USP. Thank you." He turned to walk out of the room. "You are dismissed until supper. I'll get you a dorm assignment and put you on for a combat drill later today." USP tried to say something again, but felt that the commander wasn't ready yet.

"Of course. Thank you, Commander."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Motivation**

Bryant and his leftover dolls ran combat simulations. They were sloppy: years of data lost to time. But they remembered how to fight. He smiled to himself as his old girls took shots at targets. He glanced down at his data pad from time to time, gathering information. With his eight dolls, he managed to form two partial-strength echelons. He called these 'Shield Team', his most powerful – and his only – soldiers.

Shield One consisted of his leftover Assault Rifles and Submachine Guns. They were serious, but calm. MP40, Spectre, SIG 510 were part of the team, with AR doll FNC leading the pack. In the past, Bryant would have put this team on logistics. But that wasn't exactly feasible right now.

Shield Two was his leftover handguns and a single rifle. USP, M1911, and M1895 were led by the rifle SKS. They were relaxed and more playful than the other team. All but USP. She was serious and was frequently frustrated by the doll's laxness. They were used as his 'quick assault team'. They were surgically inserted, dealt their damage, then left. It was a risky move, but it was highly effective against certain enemies and the ringleaders.

The two teams participated in drills until Bryant was satisfied. The dolls each were able to manage two additional dummy units: identical dolls that followed the orders of the main unit. It essentially turned each doll into a powerful hivemind. Bryant had put in additional doll orders to IOP, and hopefully those would be coming in soon. Once he got those new dolls in, his teams would be close to full power. After training, Bryant took his dolls to the armory to get fitted with equipment and to work out all the bugs in their programming. Most of his dolls were fine tuned machines and only required slightly tweaks. USP, on the other hand, was given extensive optimizations and updates.

Both dolls and Commander were exhausted after a long day of training. As the sun started to set, Kalina managed to convince Bryant to host a small 'welcome back party'. A picnic with only the finest scenery; dirt, cement, and a single light post. Only the best and freshest packaged MRE's were prepared, and Kalina procured a moderately pricy case of flat diet soda. Generic brand, of course. The party was quite impressive, given the size and capabilities of the base. Not including Bryant, Kalina, and Shield team, only eight other A-Dolls were on base. It made for a strangely cozy party.

A few hours after the moon had settled overhead, Bryant turned in. Most of the combat dolls followed him, eager to rest after the day they had. USP and M1895 stayed behind with the A-Dolls and Kalina. USP held onto her can of soda tightly, and began to squirm in her seat. "Um…miss Kalina?" The operator looked up with a curious expression. "Sometimes the Commander looks so sad. Is he alright?" Kalina sighed and put her own can down on the table. She shifted in her seat and turned to look up at the moon.

"Well, I mean, his psyche report seems to say so." She put a finger to her lips. "But, I don't know if I can tell you…" Kalina closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She shifted in her seat again, this time acting professionally. "Tell me, USP: How much do you know about Commander Bryant?"

"You and Ms Helianthus hold him in high regard. He was a key part of several deniable operations and had a very high mission success ratio. Other than that, not much."

"I see…" Kalina said quietly. "Most of what he did was before I joined his logistics team. The biggest operation I was able to see first hand was a support operation in Sector 12." Her voice lowered to a whisper, but was still clear enough for all the dolls to hear. "He had sent four combat teams to assist in holding a supply line. As fate would have it, our base was the mid-way point of the operation. Everything went fine until the last day of the operation. Somehow, our location had been leaked. Within hours, we were set upon by the full might of an SF ringleader." The mood became solemn.

Ringleaders were powerful Sangvis Ferri dolls. Unique, capable of their own thought, and they could manipulate dozens of teams by themselves. A single ringleader could tear apart an entire squad of Griffon dolls. To fight multiple ringleaders was a death sentence. "Bryant only had a small defense force available. He called back all logistics teams and ordered all human personnel to leave the base." M1895 shivered and clutched her jacket closer. "The commander recalled his assault team dolls…but they were ambushed seconds before they reached the base perimeter."

M1895 nodded and started speaking. "I saw them…get torn to shreds in the crossfire. They came from the forest by the dozens. Their target was the server room, where all our neural cloud data was stored."

"But why?" USP asked.

"Without your neural clouds, your memories and experiences are lost forever when you get damaged beyond repair." Kalina said and took a sip of her drink. "I watched from my data pad as the commander organized a defense. One hundred and fifty dolls went up against thousands of SF dolls and their ringleader. I saw that number drop and drop until only one remained. Then, everything went dark. We lost all connection to the base for seven hours. When it was safe to return, we found Bryant in the communication room. He had been badly injured, but he was alive." Kalina took a deep breath and looked away. Tears were in her eyes.

"He had lost everything. Nearly a nation's worth of supplies, a family of dolls, and years of training were dashed to pieces. The only things we were able to salvage from the rubble was an old, damaged backup disk and Type 63's Oath Ring." She forced a smile and turned to USP. "I'll be honest: I'm so happy to see so many dolls survived." Kalina put a gentle hand on M1895's head and pulled her closer. "But, that one doll didn't. Without her, Bryant just wasn't the same. He barely talked, barely ate. He would only sit and play with that burnt ring." The air was heavy and the sounds of the base seemed to dim.

Kalina took a sharp breath and gently patted her cheeks. "Enough of this. Happy thoughts, Kalin." Kalina nodded and returned to her normal self. She smiled and flashed a peace-sign. "You cuties just do your best now! Leave the hard stuff to the Commander and your amazing Logistics Officer." Kalina picked up some of the trash. "Now then: time to call it a night. Get some rest, and hopefully we'll have a better day tomorrow." The dolls nodded in agreement and went back to the dorms.

By chance, USP passed by the communication room. A faint blue light poured out of the room. She peaked inside and saw the commander at the display map. USP took a step inside and froze. His left hand was balled into a fist, and his other was up by his neck. She saw him gently running a finger over the oath ring. A single red dot occasionally pulsated as it moved. Bryant was running several algorithms of the screens, all focused on this one mark. She opened her mouth, but froze when she saw his lips move. "Not her. Not this one." He said silently. He pushed a button on the console and moved to another dot.

"Where are you hiding?" He put the ring in his left and traced the second target's path with his right hand. "Not you. Not you either." He was getting louder. He moved to another target. She heard a rumble come from his throat. He switched to another target and stopped. A low, sad chuckle escaped his lips. "Not here, either." He let both hands hand at his side as he looked at the screens. The algorithms had stopped, and the map focused on a green target. It was in the center of several predicted paths from several ringleaders. USP couldn't grasp the significance, other than the unusual amount of SF traffic. "I'll find her. I'll find her soon, Tia. Just wait." He clenched the ring tightly in his left hand.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Ursula**

After a few days of rigorous training, Shield team was ready for combat operations. Not that they could go out on them anyway, because Bryant did not have the authorization. He and Kalina worked together to send the girls on logistics missions: escort jobs, manual labor, odd-jobs, anything to get their name out there. Finally, the day arrived. The new commander was going to arrive at base.

The small helicopter landed and two women stepped out. The one wore a simple blue and black one-piece, and large glasses with a blue frame. Her brown hair was cut just above her shoulders. She carried a heavily modified rifle, Bryant recognized it as the experimental SAR-21. An Elite T-Doll of this level was a surprise to him.

The other woman wore the bright red Griffon jacket. Her blonde hair was cut short, almost shorter than Bryant's. It gave him a good look at her green eyes bright with youthful optimism. A small tattoo ran down from her ear to the collar of her shirt. She extended her hand to Bryant. He took it. "Hiya! Name's Ursula McRoy. I'll be working with you from now on."

"Bryant. I'm looking forward to working with you as well." Ursula paused, and her face seemed to flush. He felt her grip weaken slightly.

"Bryant…as in, Zachary Bryant?"

"That's me." Bryant said. He felt something uneasy coming. Based on her reaction, it was probably a good think that she knew him.

"Wow…I never thought – I mean, you see – But you're a legend!" She put both her hands on his and shook it again.

"Thanks? That doesn't sound good."

"It was mostly good. Well, except for the incident involving Miss Helianthus."

"Oh…that. That's a part of my past I'd rather not visit." Just as he said that, Kalina perked up. She hurried up behind Bryant and took Ursula's hand.

"Wait, I want to hear this story!" Kalina held out a wad of cash. "I'll make it worth your effort." Ursula looked confused and attempted to turn down the offer. The doll next to her coughed and looked up. SAR-21 spoke for the first time.

"I believe we should get to work, Ms Ursula." The two women nodded and Kalina reluctantly backed down. She locked eyes with Bryant and shot him a gaze that told him she was going to find out his secrets. Bryant sighed and began preparing himself for the inevitable.

The commanders walked through the base towards the communication room. Ursula took off her coat and draped it gently over a chair. She picked up her tablet and looked at the screen. "What's available today?" Bryant lifted his own tablet and cast some information.

"Lots of logistics. The support teams are on their way back now."

"Support Teams?" Ursula asked as she took a closer look at the logistics missions. "I wasn't aware we had any."

"They are technically my teams. However, I am your lieutenant. Their primary goal is to support whatever operations you take part in. If there is no active assignment, I will deploy them as I see fit." Ursula laughed.

"Yeah, that's what I was told too. 'Your primary objective is to work with your staff to support official G&K operations in Sector 9'. Bunch a' bull if you ask me." She selected a mission and smiled. "Here's a good one." Bryant looked at the screen and paled.

'Limited Bounty: Ringleader Gager', a high difficulty combat operation. "How about this? We'll see some action." Bryant slowly nodded.

"You're insane." His voice cracked as he looked at the enemy details. "Completely insane." He pulled up the information of Shield Team. He then pulled up the information on the free dolls around base. Once all the information was displayed, he took a slow breath and talked again. "Let's pick something easier, at least to start."

Ursula frowned. She went back to the mission list, muttering something Bryant couldn't hear. Kalina shot him a strange look. "All of these are boring logistic missions. Nothing interesting; just routine."

"Routine is nice, Commander Ursula. Routine doesn't hurt our dolls."

"Geez. You're such a kill-joy. What do you think we should do then?" She turned to him in annoyance. Bryant grit his teeth and tightened his empty hand.

"Nothing. You want to try your luck; I'll follow your lead." Kalina made a hasty retreat from the room, feeling Bryant's anger and annoyance reaching a peak. "But I swear to you now: If anything happens to USP…or any of our dolls, it'll be on your head." The two commanders locked eyes and exchanged glares.

Ursula's expression softened slightly and she began to gently chew on her cheek. She lowered her head slightly and sighed. "I'm sorry, Bryant." The tension in the air hung for a few seconds before Bryant let out a strained sigh.

"What game are you playing, Ms McRoy?" Bryant said as he crossed his arms. SAR walked up next to Ursula and cleared her throat.

"Ms Ursula studied the commanders of Sector 9. She wanted to see one of the veterans in action, but they are too busy to train a rookie."

"That doesn't explain the arrogant bullheadedness."

"Well, Ms Ursula tends to act without thinking." Ursual gently pushed SAR.

"Stop talking about me like that! I'm not that bad, am I?" Bryant put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. The new commander and her adjutant argued for a bit longer before Bryant came to a compromise.

"Listen. Between the four teams we have, only Shield One is able to be remotely useful in the Limited Bounty. Perhaps we can find another mission that our teams can work on together?" Ursula nodded slightly.

"Of course, Commander." The two turned back to the screen. After bickering and trying to compromise for an hour, Kalina found the courage to enter the room again.

"Commanders, Ms Helianthus would like to speak with you. Voice lines only. Should I establish the connection?" Bryant turned to Ursula. She looked back at him, expecting Bryant to take the lead. He made a motion to Kalina. Ursula blushed and turned to Kalina.

"Um, yes please. Patch her through now." Kalina pushed a few buttons on her tablet and took a seat near the door. Helian's Photo appeared on one of the monitors.

"Commanders Ursula and Bryant, we have an urgent mission for you to accept." Bryant and Ursula looked to each other.

"Very well, Ms Helianthus. Bryant and I are awaiting orders." Ursula said quickly, but not confidently.

"Good. I'll send Miss Kalina the details shortly. This operation will be a joint effort with about twenty Commanders from various sectors. I myself will be leading a combat team, and we've even hired some…less reputable mercenaries."

"Damn, Helian. What the hell happened?" Ursula and SAR went pale as they looked at Bryant.

"Commander! You can't talk to her like that! She's your boss." Ursula hissed. Bryant just shrugged as Helian continued.

"Bryant…We'll have a private talk about your decorum. As to your question: I cannot tell you what happened. I don't even have all the information. What I do know, is that we have a damaged doll carrying mission critical information being pursued deep behind enemy lines. We've sent all active commanders to the last known coordinates. Your teams will be needed on standby for the assault teams, but we'll also need a team to scout out additional combat areas and make strategic strikes."

Byrant noded and made a note on his tablet. "Understood. We'll be ready to mobilize within the hour."

"Excellent. You'll have a transport chopper on base by 2300 hours. Good luck, to both of you." Helian ended the call, leaving the commanders in silence.

"SAR, go join first echelon. I'll go and prepare the others for duty."

"Yes ma'am." She said with a salute and hurried out of the room.

USP hurried into the communications room to get Bryant. "Commander, the teams are ready and the transport will be here any minute." He nodded absently, once again searching for some unknown person or doll. "Commander?"

"She's gone…it's like…she's a different doll. I can't find her, anywhere." He muttered. USP stood next to him and watched as all of tonight's leads vanished one by one. Once the screen was empty, Bryant put the ring back in his pocket and leaned against the computers. "And now I have this mission, where I'm certain you all will be in danger…and I've been grounded." He muttered again.

It had been decided that Bryant would stay behind and walk Ursula through the operation from the base. That, and Kalina would have been lonely with the short-staff. Still, USP could see the frustration and annoyance in his face as he realized that his one chance at a lead would be wasted. USP mustered all of her courage and looked at Bryant. "Um…let me help."

"…what?"

"When we finish this mission, let me help you find this doll. This Ringleader." He still looked at her blankly, almost as if he was processing what she was telling him. "We'll hunt her…together." She held out her hand.

"….yeah." Bryant managed, and gently took her hand. The two shook hands, finalizing their agreement. Bryant followed USP out, to see the combat teams off. USP and Bryant walked side by side towards the awaiting helicopter. The teams were loaded, the briefing finished, and Operation Lancet commenced.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – The Valley of Decision**

Operation Lancet was going without a major hitch. The doll, called HVT Aux, was still relatively hidden. No commanders had seen her, nor had any of the communication staff picked up any SF chatter about her. Ursula was busy, insanely busy. In the few days since the start of the operation, she had participated in two support operations and even had the chance to lead a strike mission. Bryant was equally busy.

However, during his scant downtime he assisted Kalina in organizing the logistics of the entire operation. It was a nightmare, and Bryant was out of practice. Thankfully, he and Kalina did more good than harm. It was during these moments of downtime that Bryant focused his efforts on hunting down his enemy.

His progress was hindered one day by a phone call. The voice was twisted and garbled, but familiar. "Bryant. You've been busy. Good to be back, yes?" His 'mysterious voice' once again was talking to him.

"Better than, ya know, dying." Bryant said quietly.

"I have some news for you, Bryant. A mission if you will."

"Thanks, but not interested." Bryant said and turned back to his monitor.

"But I think they might be." The monitors in the comm room flickered. Several portraits appeared in place of Bryant's searching algorithms. Each one wore a stunning red Griffon and Kryuger jacket. Among those portraits were Helian and Ursula. "They will be in grave danger, unless you act."

Bryant was silent. His mind raced as he began planning communications and organization for some calamity, but his heart kept screaming to end the call and continue his personal search. He took a slow breath. "What do I need to do?"

"A large SF force is currently moving on an intercept course for the main base for this operation." Bryant's heart skipped a beat. He felt cold, and his hands began to shake from the nerves. "And, before you say anything: they are hidden quite expertly. I don't think anyone in the camp has any way of finding them."

"Bullshit! That's….that's not…" the memories began flooding back to him. He brought a hand to his mouth to keep from vomiting.

"I'll send the current position of the enemy. They'll attack at nightfall, so you'll have to stop them soon. Good luck, Commander." The power cut to the room for a few seconds. When the power returned, everything was back to how it was before the call. Kalina hurried into the room.

"Commander! We've got bad news!" Bryant looked up at her, still trying to hold back the panic. "We've lost contact with the FOB. We're completely in the dark."

"We…we should have details on the enemy forces causing this." Bryant managed. He was still hunched over. He used the data-table in the center of the room for support. Kalina nodded and shakily pulled up the enemy movements. Several fodder-class SF dolls were listed. Bryant and Kalina carefully went over the list until they reached the bottom.

At the bottom of the list, there was a list of siege weaponry and other gear that SF was carrying with them. Among the list were things that Bryant and Kalina still had nightmares about. Stolen military hardware, a custom-made Manticore tank designed to eliminate hardened targets and cripple Ringleader operations.

Simply put: this mechanical beast could destroy dolls and render them unusable. Any doll destroyed by that thing would cease to exist. Nothing could fix a destroyed digimind or neural cloud. Tears began welling up in her eyes. "Commander, what do – "

Bryant made some muffled sounds and dropped to his knees. In ten hours, the forward base would be completely destroyed, and everyone there would die. If he could just hold out till sunrise, they might be able to get a message to the base. But that would mean someone would need to hold off that monster. It was certain death for any team involved. Any doll that took the field would be wrecked beyond repair. "Kalina…can we still contact Shield Two?" He said quietly. Kalina nodded and quickly searched.

"I-it's faint, but yes." He nodded and slowly rose to his feet. His knees shook as he opened the line.

"Shield Two, this is Commander Bryant. There is an SF force heading towards the base for Operation Lancet. We've lost contact. You are the only team that can respond quickly enough to help them." The line crackled with static for a moment before SKS's voice was heard.

"…acknowledged. What are…your orders?" Bryant looked down at the table. He felt like his heart was tearing. He couldn't find the words. He couldn't do it. "Sir?"

"I'm on my way to the forward base now to alert them to the danger. Please go to the coordinates I'll send you momentarily." He could barely cough out the words. "I'm authorizing the use of specialty equipment: you might be fighting in the dark."

There was more static and the sound of movement. "Anything else, sir?"

"SF has stolen military hardware. We think it's a Manticore." The activity stopped and the line was silent. Bryant couldn't hold back the tears anymore. His voice quivered as he continued. "We need you to hold out until sunrise…just…until…" He cut the conversation short and slammed his fist against the table. His heart broke. He had just sent those dolls to their deaths.

Kalina stood in silence and waited for the commander to gain control over his emotions again. "I just got them back…" he muttered absently. "I just got them back, and now they're going to die." Kalina put her arms around him and shook her head.

"They'll be fine. She'll be fine. Just wait, everything will be fine."

A lie. But one that Bryant wanted to believe desperately.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Lethal Force**

Shield Two worked to fortify the small barricade in front of the make-shift command post. According to Bryant's intell, the enemy was nearly upon them. They only needed to hold the enemy back until sunrise. Even with the fortifications they built, they would still be pushed to their limits. SKS stood in her makeshift sniper tower looking for the enemy while the handguns hastily finished the defenses. Their dummy units stood at attention, assisting SKS.

USP put down the last sandbag and adjusted her hat. "Only two hours till sunrise. Any sign of them yet?" SKS shook her head from her tower and kept looking.

"I don't see them…but I hear that thing. It's getting closer." The team stopped and strained to hear. The faint mechanical marching of a Manticore tank echoed faintly in the darkness. "It won't be here for awhile, unless they made some modifications." SKS muttered and took aim at the shadows. "Alright ladies: here comes the infantry."

Sangvis foot soldiers poured out of forest and surrounding shrubbery. There had to be at least eighty, maybe more. There was no way Shield Two could defeat such a large force. The dolls switched off their emotional software to silence the screaming fear. The enemy reached the first barricade. SKS gave the order and opened fire. M1911 threw a smoke grenade into the group of enemies, causing a fair amount of friendly fire.

The silence was broken by the rhythmic pounding of gunfire. The SF forces slowly began to lose strength. Between the smoke and the barricade, they had no way of leaving the killzone. SKS picked off the more dangerous units. Snipers and mobile artillery were reduced to scrap before they had a chance to inflict their damage on the small team. The tempo of gunfire slowed until the uneasy silence returned. The dolls stood at the ready. The moans of heavy machinery were getting louder, but the Manticore was still out of sight.

SKS changed to a fresh magazine and wiped the dust from her eyes. "How is everyone doing?"

"Fine!" M1911 chirped.

"Alive and well. I'm missing a dummy." M1895 said while she reloaded.

"I'm unharmed. Just a little rattled." USP said quietly.

"Keep it up, ladies. The Commander is depending on us." SKS said as the second wave approached. "Let 'em have it!"

The gunfire resumed. The enemy charged forward, smashing through the first barricade. Once through, they spread out. This made it hard for the team to track all the targets. SF fire came from all directions. SKS yelped as a bullet grazed her arm. "USP, we need you." USP nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. She diverted all non-essential power to her IFF software. She opened her eyes and peaked over the small wall.

"Target's identified, I count-" The mechanical noise had gotten more rapid, and the Manticore tank came sprinting into view. She pointed and screamed "Manticore!" moments before an explosion destroyed the second barricade. The dolls went airborne; SF and Griffon alike. The Manticore opened fire with its main cannon. SKS threw a piece of the barricade off of her and hurried to collect the other dolls.

"Where is M1911?" A small hand raised from behind a pile of sandbags.

"I'm here, SKS. I'm alright." The Manticore was firing to close for comfort. SKS found a sturdy chunk of rubble and began shooting from there. Her AP rounds were easily able to tear through its armor, but without her dummies she wasn't doing a lot of damage. The team regrouped and opened fire on the beast.

"Alright girls, we can do this. Prioritize damaging its leg joints. That should slow it down." The small team began firing as quickly as they could. The tank slowed its advance to increase accuracy. It wasn't enough. It wasn't built for low-light operations. Shield two was doing well and keeping the tank busy.

It hissed and stopped moving suddenly. The team ceased fire to watch it. Two small lights appeared on the sides of its main cannon. A high-pitched whine began to build intensity as the lights grew brighter. SKS cursed. "Scatter!" The dolls sprinted to either side of the machine. All but M1911. The whine's pitch grew higher, causing the dolls to stop and clutch their ears. USP felt like her head was about to explode. Her neural cloud was getting scrambled, memories getting scrambled and twisted. M1911 froze, unable to move.

The whine stopped and M1911 convulsed. There was a loud mechanical 'pop' and smoke poured out of M1911's ears, eyes and nose. The dolls looked on in horror as the tank resumed its fire. "M1911 is down! It has a specialized sonic weapon, stay out of its range." M1895 yelled as she ran for the tree line. That was easier said than done. It could turn on a dime. Once it had a lock, that target was as good as dead. SKS kept firing, trying to damage one of the legs. The tank turned towards M1895, who was still running. The lights on the front cannon lit up.

"Look out!" SKS yelled. It was too late, and the other handgun doll fell to the ground with a sickening pop. SKS leaned back against the rubble. "USP…it's just the two of us. We need to hold the line!" USP nodded and took a shaky breath. The two dolls continued their attack. Trying desperately to damage the tank before it could get past them. The Manticore had too much armor for the small team to deal with. And now that they were down two dolls, it was next to impossible.

The sonic weapon began to charge again. USP clutched her head, feeling the circuitry and electronics in her head vibrate painfully. SKS jumped out of cover and began shooting to draw its attention off USP. The Manticore turned and focused on SKS. She kept shooting, even as her body twitched from the attack. She dropped her rifle and fell to her knees, clutching her head. Smoke came from her head, and she fell to the dirt.

USP hid behind a rock as the Manticore stomped closer. She clutched her gun to her chest and looked over the trees. A small glint of sunlight peaked over the trees, barely illuminating the black sky. Even though she knew she was going to die, even though she knew she wouldn't be able to keep her promise, she found herself smiling. She opened up a communication channel. She knew her message wouldn't reach anyone: SF had jammed their signal hours ago. Even still, she wanted Bryant to know they completed their mission in the end.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ch 12 – Consequences**

"Who are you?"

"I am a Griffon and Kryuger Tactical-Doll USP Combat, Retrofitted Civilian Protector model."

"Who is your commander?"

"Commander Zachary Bryant, Sector 09. Lieutenant to Commander Ursula McRoy."

The feminine voice paused for a moment. It chuckled lightly. "What a find, huh?"

"You can say that again." A new voice said. This one was gruff, masculine. "Combat core is busted and etching software is blown to hell. Digimind is a mess. Neural Cloud is hanging by a thread. How did she survive that thing?"

"Hard to believe a thing like this could be so lucky when we've lost so many." USP felt her head jolt sharply.

"Don't kick the thing! We're not done!" The masculine voice was angry now. He yelled at the other voice for what felt like hours. Then, he was quiet for a moment. "Alright, one last question: where is your base?"

* * *

USP slowly opened her eyes. Bryant was sleeping in a folding chair next to a makeshift repair bay. The other repair technicians were working on the other dolls injured during Operation Lancet. It hurt to think, and she couldn't 'feel' her combat core. Her system was still running diagnostics. The only module currently active was Audio/Video. She was able to see and hear, but have very limited interaction with the rest of the outside world. She was aware of the hustle and bustle, but also the searing pain every time she tried to think.

A technician came over to look at the monitor she was wired to. She gave a warm smile and put a hand on USP's forehead. "Go back to sleep. Everything will be better soon."

Her diagnostics and self-repair protocols finished a few hours later. The system sent a notice to what was left of her scrambled Neural Cloud to wake up. Slowly, she regained feeling through her body. It was unbelievably sore, and she uncomfortably tingly all over. She still had a brutal headache. USP sat up and took a slow breath. A tech turned to her and smiled. He pushed a button on his radio and called for Bryant. The Commander was there a few minutes later.

He walked over to USP and put a hand on her head. "I'm glad to see you're alright." USP nodded slowly. She felt a warm feeling slowly push out the pain and discomfort. "Are you alright?" She nodded slowly and put both her hands on top of Bryant's hand.

"Where…is…everyone else?" She said slowly. She couldn't form the sentences well. Bryant's face twisted in a pained frown. "Oh…I'm…sorry."

"Don't be…" Bryant whispered. "I shouldn't have put you in that situation."

"But…is the base…is Ursula okay?"

"Yes. You all did great. You saved them all." USP smiled.

"Good. Then, we…did all we could." She leaned forward and put her head on Bryant's shoulder. "What…happened to the others?" Bryant sighed.

"When a doll's neural cloud gets destroyed, they can just restart from a backup." He gently tapped USP's head. "But, every doll's digimind is unique. It changes hourly, but holds too much information to back up. If that gets destroyed, even if we restore the neural cloud, the digimind won't process the memories and experience properly."

"And that tank destroyed their digiminds?" Bryant nodded slowly. "But then…how did I survive?" Bryant shook his head.

"I have no idea. I don't know. But I don't care. You are safe, and that is all that matters." USP nodded and pulled away. "We are going to head home as soon as the techs are finished running tests. I'll be back in a little bit…I want to give Kalina the good news." USP smiled and nodded, before lying back down and resting.

Bryant left the repair building and pulled out his phone. Kalina was quick to answer. "Well, is she okay?!"

"Yes, USP is alright." Byrant said, barely holding his joy back. "She won't be able to fight again, but at least she's fine." He took a deep breath as Kalina cheered in the background.

"See…I told you it would all be fine in the end." She said weakly. Technically, Bryant had a casualty rate of 75% for this mission. But this was still a reason to be happy.

"So, did you look into her digimind?"

"Oh, yes…hold on…where did I put that….ah, here it is." Bryant heard the fumbling of paper as Kalina returned to the phone. "According to my search, her digimind did get completely destroyed. I found a lot of scrambling and general damage."

"Then…how is she…"

"It looks like someone manually repaired the Digimind or modified the neural cloud."

"Impossible. No Griffon tech has been able to do anything like that." Kalina was silent.

"I'm not saying it was Griffon. And I doubt it was SF either." Both were silent for a long time. "Bryant…there's a very real possibility that it was someone not associated with SF or G&K. Based on the extent of the repairs, I'm very certain it could be…you know…"

"Anti-Android… they just don't know when to quit." Bryant sighed. "Tell the defense team to double their patrols until Lancet is finished. Tell them to keep an eye out for human forces." Kalina acknowledged and ended the call. Bryant put his phone away and stared off into the mid-day sky. The Anti-Android Association had plagued him for ten years before he retired. Now, they were at it again. At least they had the courtesy to give him a 'welcome' back present before they became a thorn in his side.

Bryant sighed and turned back to the repair center. He'd have to deal with them sooner or later. But for now, he had to help USP recover.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – A Needed Interlude**

Ursula and her dolls were still on the Operation. News from the front was that the VIP doll had been found, and a rescue operation was set to begin. Because Bryant was not technically apart of the operation, he was asked to escort the injured commanders and dolls from the forward base to a safer location. Not an ideal job, but one he could definitely do.

USP sat next to Bryant as he fiddled with his tablet. Some defense teams were lent to him specifically for this mission. He was going over their specs and weaponry. USP peaked over his shoulder. Bryant was muttering to himself and reorganizing the teams to fit his needs.

"Commander?" USP asked and scooted closer. "How do you…uh…" USP gestured to the data on the display, "how do you…set…er, organize the teams?" Her head was spinning, and finding words was difficult. Bryant nodded and leaned the tablet closer to her.

"What do I look for in a team?" USP nodded. "Well, let's see…" Bryant pulled up one of the defense teams. It consisted of a few Assault Rifle dolls and SMG dolls, with a lone handgun as support. "Take this team for example: they are all equipped with explosives. So, I try to organize them so they can target the most enemies with their explosives." USP nodded, still processing.

"How…did I fit in the last team?" Bryant put the pad down and turned to her.

"You were paired with a Sniper last time, right?" USP nodded slowly. "Well, rifles typically fire very slowly, but deal massive damage." USP nodded, but winced from her headache. "I chose the specific girls to help SKS perform at her best." He put a hand on USP's head. Her headache diminished slightly, but it was still there. "You had the most important role: you were the team spotter. Without you, SKS wouldn't know what to hit and how to hit it."

"So…Without me…?" She trailed off.

"The team wouldn't have been complete." He muttered softly. "Everyone has a role. Everyone has a purpose." USP sat quietly for a few minutes. Bryant finished with the defense teams and leaned back in his seat. "God, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep for two days when we get back home."

USP grinned and looked at the roof of their vehicle. "I'm tired too…" Bryant gave an understanding chuckle. USP's smile slowly faded and she kept staring. "Hey Commander?" Bryant sat forward and turned to her. She put he hands in her lap and nervously squeezed them. She took a shaky breath. "What…what purpose do I serve now? I can't fight…I can't lead a team…it's taking so much effort just to speak. What…what can I possibly do now?" She turned to him with tears in her eyes. "I'll understand if you retire me…or scrap me for parts." Bryant frowned and turned to her.

"Look at me, USP." She did, and Bryant promptly pinched her cheeks. He pulled them lightly, causing USP to whine. "Don't you dare pull that on me, missy." He let go and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm not going to retire you, so don't you worry about that. Even if you can't fight, you can still be plenty of help. I am still looking for an adjutant." USP nodded. "It will be hard work though: I am a brutal taskmaster…or so Kalina says." The two of them laughed.

USP gave a bright smile and leaned against Bryant's arm. "Thank you, Command." He smiled and let her sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – An Unexpected Call**

Bryant and USP returned to their base around the same time that Ursula did. Her part in the operation was finished, she returned with her payment. The funds were meager, but more than enough to make do. Ursula and Kalina 'borrowed' some funds to purchase some fancy supplies. Popular snacks, some decorations, some 'secret' supplies that Kalina needed and more. Bryant was impressed at the sheer volume of things they were able to afford.

After their shopping trip, Ursula was out of commission for a few days. When she did make a public appearance on base it was only to get coffee or snacks, then she crawled back to her quarters to sleep. Her first extended appearance was about a week later, when she joined Bryant for a base inspection. Thankfully, the missions the base received were easily handled. Ursula was thankful for the break.

Bryant, on the other hand, spent most of his time improving the base. He worked on fixing up many of the outdated or broken facilities. The Data Center, Repair Bay, Dormitories, and the communications room were all upgraded and cleaned up. It made working and moving through the base easier and the whole base felt more 'homey'.

When he wasn't working on the base, he was spending time with USP. She needed constant maintenance and a form of therapy. Bryant was constantly defragging and repairing her digimind or fixing discrepancies in her neural cloud. The fixes were long and difficult. Bryant worked with several Griffon Intranet tabs and instruction manuals open on his desk. Each day he made more progress. He figured it would be a month or so before USP was back to 'normal'. Some days he even thought he could get her combat core working again. Although, that was probably a pipe-dream. USP was mostly cooperative. The maintenance was long and uncomfortable. Even if it did help with the pain, sometimes she gave Bryant some difficulty. He didn't mind.

USP was feeling better. The constant upgrades that Bryant put her through were helping her. She was able to move around and multitask without pain. Talking was easier that it had been a week ago. She felt more comfortable in her own body and her digimind. Still, there were times that she experienced strange memories that weren't hers. She kept this to herself. She didn't want to stress Bryant any more. Sometimes, she'd black out and wake up somewhere else on base. Or, she'd have thoughts about dolls and locations she'd never met.

Then, there was a month of nothing. Bryant and Ursula spend nearly all of their free time in the communications room waiting for a job. Well, in reality, it was more like harassing Helian for a job. She was busy preparing scout teams and strike teams for various missions, including a secret project she was adamant about keeping a secret. Bryant sighed and spun in his chair. Helian sighed as she watched a grown adult act like a child.

"Commander Bryant, surely you must have something you can do?"

"Nope, not really ma'am. All the teams are out on partrol…" He made another rotation. "And all the logistics are taken care of." Another rotation. "The only one not busy at the moment is Kalina, but she's helping me debug USP." Helian frowned and looked over at her desk.

"One moment, please." Her call was ended. Bryant stopped spinning and stretched. He picked up his hat and turned.

"I'm going to go check on the simulators. Need anything, Ursula?"

"I'm good." As Bryant turned to walk away, a call came through. It was from Helian. "Well, maybe you should stay for this first." Ursula pushed a button on the panel.

Helian's voice came through, but there was no video. "Ah, Commanders. I'm sorry for the interruption. I'm currently on the line with Glen Georges. He is a very high-profile client, with a unique opportunity for us at Griffon." The newcomer chuckled.

"Your praise is too much, Miss Helianthus. You may call me Glen. I own a rather large resort and a stretch of land on the coast. Lately, we've noticed a few SF patrols nearby. This is probably because we don't have any nearby Griffon base." He paused.

"So, Mr. Georges would like the two of you to go and provide security for his resort for a few days to spook off any SF stragglers while we consider a more permanent solution." Bryant laughed.

"So, you're telling us we get paid to go on a beach vacation for a week? I'm liking this plan, Helian. I should slack off more often." Bryant sighed and straightened his hat. "However, if these patrols are anything dangerous, I don't think my team will be able to handle it effectively. We are short staffed as is."

"Ah, that's where I would come in." Helian said. "I will be coming along as well. Both for added security, and to re-evaluate Commander Bryant as well." Bryant thought about his for a moment.

"Alright. I'm in; Glen. We'll be ready to mobilize within the day."

"Excellent news, Commander. Thank you, so much. I'll pass the word along to my staff. They will have the airport free for your dropships by tomorrow afternoon." Glen said his farewells and ended the call. Ursula and Bryant turned to each other, then back to the screen.

"Miss Helianthus," Ursula started, "That seemed rather sudden and rather odd, honestly. Why so suddenly, and this is a big job."

"Yes, I agree. But this is a job I think you and Bryant will be able to handle this." She cleared her throat. "Now, the three of us will meet at a midway point here;" she sent over a set of coordinates, "and we will go the rest of the way together. Bring as many combat teams as possible." Bryant nodded.

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh…and, um…" Helian was quiet for a moment. "Pack some casual clothing." The room went silent.

"What…?"

"I mean, I figure while we are at a beach resort, we should relax a bit." There was more quiet. "Say something, alright?"

"Miss Helianthus, I didn't think- " Bryant interrupted Ursula with a hearty laugh.

"Kryuger told you to take some time off, didn't he? How much sleep did you get this week?"

"N-no! He, he most certainly did not! I wouldn't – " Bryant was crying.

"That's wonderful. Alright, we'll meet you at the rendezvous point." Ursula said and ended the call before punching Bryant in the arm. "Geez, you are such a child. You laughed at that poor girl!" Bryant took a deep breath and wiped his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry. But," he let out some stray chuckles and took a deep breath, "this isn't the first that happened. Kryuger was constantly giving her 'off time' because she has no work-life balance." He sat down and smiled. "She normally took a day to stop by my base in S9. She still did work, but at least we made sure she ate and slept. I'm just glad the boss is stepping up his game."

Ursula furrowed her brow and shook her head. "That still doesn't explain why she's excited to go…"

"Ah, that. Don't worry. You'll find out soon enough." Bryant stood up. "For now, we have to pack. I'll take care of the tech stuff. Just let Kalina know that we'll be gone for a few days."

Bryant turned to walk away, daydreaming of collecting bits of SF tech off of the local beaches after a skirmish.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Storm the Beaches**

The ragged band of commanders and dolls stepped off the helicopter and were guided into a waiting limo. Bryant settled in well. He was still very used to civilian life. Ursula and Helian, on the other hand, looked insanely uncomfortable. USP and the other dolls were riding in an armored vehicle following behind the limo. A friendly, well dressed man sat in the back with the commanders. His black suit stood out from the bright red jackets.

The man put a tablet between the three commanders. "We spotted the patrols on these beaches. We think they are coming from this island." He enlarged the image on one island and pointed to a small cliffside. "They've set up a small outpost here. We'd like you to go and eliminate them." Ursula nodded and put her chin in her hand.

"Looks easy enough. We could take it with three squads, right?"

"I'd take four, just to be on the safe side." Helian said and nodded to Ursula. "Zachary and I can handle things from here."

"Bryant." Bryant corrected.

"Yes, sorry. Bryant and I can handle the patrols." Helian blushed and turned to the man. "Anything else." He nodded slightly.

"There is more, but I want to let the Chief tell you about that." He put the tablet away. "He'll know the technical side of things." Bryant nodded and leaned back in his seat.

"Fine by me. Where are we headed?" The man gave a salesman smile and rolled down the window.

"We are heading right towards the shining jewel of the new Adriatic: Neo Karis."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, okay. Let me confess that I've never had enough money to go more than twenty miles from home. A big resort, I get that: what's there to do?" Bryant said, trying his best to goad the man into a speaking frenzy.

"You'll get a full tour and more information…after the mission." Bryant shrugged and chuckled.

"Clever. I like you. I'm looking forward to it." He said and turned out the window. The massive resort rose out of the ocean like an ivory spike. A zero-support suspension bridge connected it to the mainland resort, which was beyond fancy. A number of eateries, bars, clubs, and date spots littered the mainland; while the clubs, attractions, and other interesting bits were found on the spire. The limo kept on its course, passing through several security checkpoints before arriving at the Spire. A monorail passed by. Bryant couldn't see much at the speed they were both travelling, but he picked out a few under-cover security guards.

"You don't have much visible security. Smart…but what do you do for crises?" There was some silence and the man played with his hands for a bit.

"We were…protected by Sangvis Ferri up until the…event. Since then, we've relied on our own private military, which has been effective at keeping them at bay." Bryant nodded and looked at Helian. "But we assure you that we will help you in any way possible. This is the last resort on the Adriatic. We'll do all we can to protect it." Helian coughed.

"As long as you pay, we'll trust you." The limo stopped and the doors opened. The dolls stepped out of their van and awaited orders. Helian gave her orders, and the small army climbed up the stairs to the command center. Inside, dozens of men and women organized the thousands of guards and police that patrolled Neo Karis. The center was filled with machines and maps. Every individual was tagged and followed. The amount of information they were able to process was amazing. And not a single doll was in sight. A man in a white shirt and floral tie stood next to a massive holographic map of the resort. He tapped individual locations, read the numbers, then moved on. He only stopped to greet the new commers.

"Chief Larson, this is Commander Helianthus, Commander Ursula and Commander Bryant. They've brought with them a small army of dolls from G&K." The chief nodded and hastily exchanged greetings.

"Good to meet you. You're dismissed Welks. Thank you." Their escort bowed slightly and left the room. Larson stopped and turned to the team. "Alright. Good to see you." He looked over the dolls and raised an eye brow. "I hope that you brought heavier firepower."

"Heavier? We were told that we only had to deal with rogue patrols? Is there more we need to know about?" Helian asked, nearly accusing him. Larson sighed and pulled up a map of the island that SF built their base on. A holographic semblance of the base popped up and Bryant took a sharp breath. A massive gun depot was being built on the side nearest to the resort. Three massive Jupiter Cannons were in the process of being built. One was almost finished. Once those were operational, the resort would be nothing but target practice.

Helian cursed and slammed her hands on the desk. "Jupiter Cannons!? How the hell are we supposed to deal with those? And that means that you have a ringleader here, too." Helian pinched her nose. "And we don't have enough dolls to lead a strike mission." Bryant stared at the holographic cannon. His heart began beating faster. He'd been part of an operation to destroy an encampment once. The Jupiter cannons tore apart hundreds of dolls before other commanders were able to break the siege. Bryant had helped, but not much.

"You are the specialists here, not me. You'll have to figure it out." Helian turned to the other commanders.

"I don't…know how we can handle this. Unless…" She turned to Bryant. "Someone was to…infiltrate the base and take down the cannons." Bryant shook his head slowly. "Bryant please: we don't have any other options."

"Send Ursula. I'm not dealing with those things again."

"She hasn't faced these monsters. You don't need the briefing: you know how they work." Bryant grit his teeth and looked at the cannons again. "And, I don't think that this ringleader will be a problem to deal with." Helian said and looked at Ursula. Everyone had a look of dread. Ursula was dreading the unknown. Byrant was dreading what he _did_ know. And Helian was dreading sending one of them on this mission.

USP stood next to Bryant, standing just far enough back so she wouldn't be in the way. Numbers and words filled her mind; something was strange. She saw images and heard voices, statistics and code flushed through her digimind, causing another headache. She clenched her eyes shut, and uttered a single word. "Destroyer." She opened her eyes. "Destroyer. Ringleader Destroyer has a dummy stationed here. It hasn't been connected to the mainframe in ages, so it's probably weaker than her other dummies."

All eyes turned to USP as she held her head against the pain. She opened her eyes, and the voices continued. She focused on her thoughts and kept talking. "We need to push from the other side of the island. That's where the troops are thinnest." Bryant's face dropped into a strange frown. Almost like he was remembering something.

"Helian…I've changed my mind." He turned to the hologram and stared at the base. "Something is going on here…and I aim to find out what."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Ghosts of Eden**

The water was cold for the summer. Bryant and USP slowly swam closer to shore, trying to evade the Sangvis patrols on the cliffs above. They found a spot that wasn't too heavily patrolled. USP went up first, carefully navigating rocks while Bryant caught up. They ran into a small patrol, but the two quickly dealt with the enemy.

They quickly got to work preparing their equipment. USP changed out of her dive-suit for her standard outfit, while Bryant changed into a spare uniform he had 'borrowed' from the resort security staff. Ballistic vests wouldn't help much him against Sangvis Ferri weaponry, but it was all he had for protection. It was better than nothing. He pulled out a shortwave radio to contact the security center while USP sorted out the rest of the equipment.

"Control, we've completed insertion. Lancet is advancing as expected. How copy?"

"Loud and clear, Lancet. Continue approach as expected. Juliet One is nearing completion. You have eighteen hours until it is operational. Over."

"Roger. Lancet Out." Bryant put the radio away and nodded to USP. She sat down on the rock and removed her jacket. Bryant took out a small surgical kit and cut a small incision on her back. He chuckled slightly. "Alright, this is gonna sting a bit." He said as he reached in and sliced a wire to her core. He held both ends and attached another piece of hardware to the wires.

"What is this, again? You said it was a 'combat module', but I don't…" She trailed off as her core hummed with new energy. Bryant sealed the cut and helped her put her jacket back on. "Commander…this is…amazing."

"I thought you'd like it. With that, you'll be able to process things quicker and more effectively. I call it a 'Precision Command' module." He put his things away and nodded. "Use that to call out enemy locations, so we can hammer them down." Once she was equipped, the two began to move. The island was filled with small shrubbery and an abandoned village. Rumor had it that Griffon had an outpost here at one point, but it just went silent one day and vanished.

USP stopped suddenly. "Commander…I'm picking up a radio frequency." She whispered. Bryant pulled out his field computer and punched in a few keys.

"I don't have it. Patch it through; one-way only." Bryant put an earpiece in. He grabbed his radio and spoke, nearly a whisper. "Lancet to Control: we've reached the village of Eden. Continuing to Juliet One. Confirm, over."

"Confirmed. Maintain radio silence until extraction. How Copy?"

"Clear. Lancet Out." Byrant turned the radio off and put it away. As the two entered the village, static came over the new signal USP found.

"Two of them…Jaeger class." A woman's voice. By the strength of the signal, it had to be a T-Doll. The two stopped and scanned the rooftops. "I need to reposition." The static stopped, and they were left in the silence again.

"Alright, slowly now." Bryant motioned and guided USP south. The sounds of nature got quieter as they approached a beat-up church. USP pointed in the opposite direction. "The signal get's stronger that way." The two moved slowly towards it, scanning the windows and alleyways for movement.

More static on the unknown signal. "Here is a good spot. Now…show your ugly heads, Sangvis." They stopped at a store. It was near where USP had mentioned the signal was coming from.

"We could check it out, Commander." USP suggested. Bryant nodded slightly.

"Let's. Stay alert, though." The two entered the building and carefully avoided some well-placed traps. Trip wires were hidden behind discarded food wrappers. Cans and broken bottles were strewn about as noise makers. It was elaborate, but not something T-Dolls would do; Griffon or Sangvis. Whoever did this was human. Human enemies frightened Bryant.

They made their way to the second floor. At the top was a small room overlooking most of the town. A WA2000 doll lay sprawled out on the floor. "Two Jaeger shots. One through the head. Never stood a chance." Bryant pulled a piece of tarp from the window to cover her with. USP reached down and turned off the sniper's radio.

"She'd been broadcasting that message for a while now. From the wear and tear, at least a year." Bryant nodded and turned. The street was calm and quiet. Overrun by nature, but quiet. A flash of light caught his eye, and he took a step back. A bullet tore through the window ledge, and into his chest. The impact knocked Bryant down, and he groaned in pain. USP rushed over and dragged him into the 'safe' corner. She tore off the vest and pulled his shirt up.

"The bullet didn't get through the vest. Small arms, handgun maybe?" She put gentle pressure on his chest. Bryant hissed and tensed up. "Broken rib…no punctures; you're breathing alright." She gently propped him up. "I'm going to go see who that was." USP got up and ran down the steps before Bryant could argue.

She rounded the corner and jumped down the steps. Her internal hydraulics whined loudly from the sudden movement. She rolled, reducing the impact. Something moved to her left, and she turned with her gun raised. A blunt object - a wood board, probably – knocked the weapon from her hands and cut a small gash on her arm. USP used the momentum from the attack to throw a wicked roundhouse kick. It shattered through the board, and into the attacker's arm. The arm buckled from the inhuman kick, staggering the enemy.

He clutched his arm tightly before drawing a knife. USP took a sharp breath and got into a fighting stance. She wasn't helpless in these situations, but her forte was not brawling. And, her attacker had a knife. _Rather unfair_, she thought as her attacker lunged caught his arm and twisted. A series of unique and sickening pops sounded as she caused his elbow to bend the wrong way. After his other arm was broken, she tossed him over her shoulder and stomped on his chest. The man gasped for air and clawed at his chest. She looked at him and reached down to take his weapon.

He didn't have a gun. Which meant he wasn't alone. USP quickly activated her new piece of hardware. The system kicked in, overclocking her sensory arrays. A faint noise, a soft yet familiar click. She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a shot from a handgun. USP ran towards her new attacker, careful to watch his movements. As he squeezed the trigger, USP dropped into a slide-tackle, breaking the man's shin.

She jumped up and delivered a rising knee blow to his jaw as the man came down. The impact knocked him out cold. USP paused for a moment, breathing deeply. The second attacker was still breathing. _After a shot like that, he's lucky to be alive_. USP took his weapon and dragged them up the stairs to where Bryant was waiting.

He was breathing slowly. "Well done." He muttered. The pain was apparent in his voice. USP tied the two men up and grabbed some electrical tape from their bag.

"It's not the best, but we should bandage the injury." USP said as she began wrapping his chest as she could. She wasn't a medical doll, so it was clumsy and shoddy. But, as Bryant put it, it was better than a punctured lung. At least she hadn't made the injury worse. "Oh, I found this on them." USP handed Bryant a portable radio. "It's old, and I'm not sure how strong the signal will be."

Bryant nodded and pushed the button. "This is Commander Bryant with Griffon and Kryuger. Two of your men tried to kill me just now." He winced as USP helped him put on his shirt. "We are here to eliminate the Sangvis Forces." There was no response for a few moments.

"So…a new player joins the deathmatch." A tired voice responded. "Not that it matters, really." Bryant heard movement in the background. "Sangvis or Griffon; Human or Doll… none of that matters now. We are the Ghosts of Eden; a reminder of failure. Failure of SF to eliminate us. Failure of Griffon to protect us. And Failure of humankind for letting this happen." Bryant rolled his eyes.

"Listen. I don't want to fight. Let's join forces. I'm here to remove the SF fortification here and –"

"Denied." Bryant tried to get in another word, but he was cut off. "To all of the Ghosts of Eden: the time has come. Drive them all out. Kill them all. We were left here alone, and we will return to the mainland alone. Happy hunting." The communication terminated, and he refused to speak to Bryant. The commander sighed and threw the radio on the ground. He motioned for USP to help him.

"This just got a lot more interesting." Bryant muttered through his teeth. USP nodded and supported her commander as best she could. "We need to find some place to set up camp. I'm sorry, USP. It's up to you from here on out." USP nodded softly.

"I won't let you down, Commander." Bryant nodded and gave her a small smile. The two walked slowly out of the town, and into the jungle.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – The Support Echelon**

Bryant and USP made their way deeper towards the heart of the island. Between the jungle and the SF patrols, they hadn't made much progress. The two could hear distant firefights between the Ghosts of Eden and Sangvis forces. SF had the numbers and power, but they were not as well versed in guerilla warfare. Avoiding the fighting and patrols eventually pushed the duo towards a section of jungle that was eerily noisy.

Unlike the other sections of the island, the insects and wildlife were the most prominent noises here. The distant gunfire was nothing more than an echo, and everything seemed almost calm. The two slowed their pace to take in the brief moment of peace. They held it in as long as they could before they had to continue the painful march.

USP spotted a small hill ahead. She gently rested Bryant against a large rock and ran up the hill to get lay of the land. The hill over locked a small clearing, and a small bunker sat in the center. Even though it had been abandoned for years, USP could make out the faint insignia of a Griffon Outpost. It was an underground base. The design was intentional: it made it harder for SF troops to infiltrate, and it kept the base cooler during the Mediterranean summers. If the old intel on the base was correct, there were still a store of supplies and weapons inside. Perhaps, if they had even a pinch of luck, there might also be reserve T-Dolls.

USP ran back to give Bryant the news. The two slowly made their way around the hill and down to the bunker. The door was rusted shut. With a little effort, the door opened. The two went inside and switched on the emergency lighting. The backup generator whined, but eventually started. Bryant leaned up against a console for support as he typed.

"Solar power is at…. twenty per-cent. We should be good for a few hours or so. Maybe more if we can turn off some of the auxiliary systems below ground." Bryant took a sharp breath and turned to the stairs. He sighed and began his slow decent. USP went a bit ahead of him and placed glowsticks every few steps. At the bottom, she waited for Bryant and helped him rest against a wall.

"USP…go find the storeroom. I'm going to…wander over to the command center and try to get a SitRep.

"Are you sure?"

"No…but, I'm gonna slow you down if we don't split up." Bryant said with a pained smile. "I'll be fine. Go on." USP nodded and slowly walked deeper into the compound. The emergency lights were brighter here, so she was able to navigate a bit easier. Still, she couldn't help but notice the stains on the walls and the collapsed corpses of dolls and humans alike. Some were fresher than others, implying some things that USP did not want to think about.

USP rounded the corner and paused. There was a light on in the repair bay. She crept closer, keeping her gun at chest level. She braced herself against the wall and peaked around the corner. A lone T-Doll sat at the station putting a half-rotten mechanical arm back in place. USP got closer and made her presence known. The doll jumped up and reached for her weapon, losing her arm in the process. Both of them paused when they made eye contact. "You…you're not…. a human." The two dolls looked at each other curiously. The other one spoke quietly.

"This…you…how?"

"I'm here with Commander Bryant. We were sent to deal with Sangvis….and now, by default, the surviving humans." The injured Doll perked up.

"You brought a human here?! The others are set to kill on sight."

"What others? The other dolls?" USP turned to the corridor and rushed off. The injured doll picked up her arm and followed. The two hurried over to the command room, where the sounds of a fight were already breaking out.

Bryant was pinned against the wall by a P38 model doll. A PPK stood nearby, cleaning her weapon with a piece of Bryant's jacket. He was breathing sharply. He looked like he was in pain. USP called out and raised her gun. Everyone turned to look at her, which gave Bryant an opportunity to shoot P38's elbow. She let go, and Bryant crumpled to the ground. As all the dolls reached for their weapons, Bryant groaned out an order.

"Drop your weapons!" He sputtered out. P38, PPK, and the injured doll all responded immediately. USP seemed to lag for a minute, before slowly returning her weapon to its holster. He held out a hand, and USP gently helped him to his feet. He took a sharp breath and leaned back against the wall. He took a few more shallow breaths before nodding. "Damn fine work, ladies." He coughed again, causing him to double over. The T-Dolls, now set to 'friendly' mode, rushed over to help Bryant. They carried him over to one of the beds in the repair bay. Bryant lay still while USP tended to the other dolls.

Bryant's field computer beeped. It had finally connected to the base interface. Bryant slowly tapped away on it, getting a feel for the resources on hand. He sighed softly, trying not to agitate his wound anymore. He put the tablet down and motioned for the dolls to come closer. "There are enough emergency supplies here for one mission." He smiled. "That means, we need to make this count."

The dolls looked at him. "What do you mean?" USP said. Bryant pointed to the wall monitor, that was displaying a map of the island.

"We are close to the middle of the island." He pushed a button, and a grid structure overlaid the existing map. "We are less than an hour away from the cannon fortification. While we don't have information on the enemy force just yet, Helian should patch that information through as soon as the secure comms can be set up." He looked at the dolls. "That means the four of you are going to need to take on SF, the surviving humans, and whatever other dangers wait for you."

Almost as in response to his words, and emergency communication came from Helian. "Commander; we have an emergency!" Bryant shifted slowly to face the monitor.

"I'm here, Helian. What's wrong?"

"A Jupiter Cannon is online!" Everyone sat up and watched in horror as Helian passed along the satellite images. A fourth cannon, expertly hidden in the forest, toppled trees and buildings as it turned to face the resort. "Commander, we are out of time."

"Not yet." Bryant managed. He reached for his bag and pulled out some strong painkillers. He took several and took a dep breath before slowly struggling to his feet. "Helian: send us information about the enemy by the active cannon." He took a few steps before waving for USP and PPK to help him. He pointed to P38. "Get to the repair bay. Help her and any other Doll that's active." P38 saluted.

"Y-yes, commander!" Bryant made his way to the Command room, helped by the two dolls.

"Commander; what are your orders?" Bryant smiled with an insane light in his eyes.

"Blitz." USP and PPK stopped and looked at each other.

"C-commander?" He nodded and repeated himself.

"We are going to blitz the Cannons. There isn't enough time to capture them and disable them. Hopefully, they won't be too heavily guarded." The dolls grew silent.

"But…if we fall…that's –" USP said, briefly reliving her last brush with death.

"Not this time." Bryant said and pointed to the room he was leading the girls to. "We're going to try something crazy. It's about time I set up your Dummy Protocol, anyway." Bryant turned on the lights. Slowly, the large warehouse lit up. Each light revealed a store of disabled T-Doll shells: each waiting to be assigned a core and a leader unit.

The dolls put Bryant down near the console. He smiled and began working. "PPK, go check on the others. USP, pick out some dummy units." Enthusiasm drowned out the pain in his voice. PPK nodded and ran off towards the repair bay while USP lay down to get her software update. The machines hummed and several dummy units were taken down and taken to processing. "Alright then…let's even the odds a little."


	18. Chapter 18

**Ch 18 – Getting Results**

The dolls slowly made their way forward. USP was not too happy about her team's composition. Four handgun-type dolls did not make up a full echelon, and they weren't the strongest models in production. To make things worse, they weren't able to fully calibrate their Dummies. The only thing they could do was push forward. The helicopter hovered over their landing pad, and the dolls jumped. Once they touched down, USP radioed Bryant while the other dolls got their gear all set up.

"Commander: Echelon One has landed. We are preparing to march on the Jupiter cannon. What are your orders?" USP asked as PPK handed her a weighty pack.

"Inside each bag is a short-range, high yield EMP. Once you get close enough to the cannon, drop one of these at the base and it'll fry the whole thing like an egg." He took a sharp breath and muttered a curse. "Just…keep the heavy damage protocols engaged: I don't want any heroes out their today. 'Heroes get dead'." He ended the transmission and the dolls were left with the busy sounds of warfare.

The dolls were ready. It was time to begin. USP took a sharp breath and tried to calculate a plan. The cannon was nearby, but there were a few SF patrols nearby. They could try to fight them, but that might leave them too weak to take down the cannon. She pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright ladies; pack your bags!" USP slung her pack over her shoulder and held up her free hand. "Charge! Bring them down." She shouted and ordered her dummies to follow. The other dolls joined her cheer and followed her as quickly as they could.

The SF forces were stunned at the sheer stupidity of the action. The Jaeger and Vespoid units stood back to take potshots while the cannon adjusted into a firing position. As the cannon turned towards her team, she felt 'fear' for the first time. This…thing was on a whole different level from the Manticore they had faced. USP hesitated for a fraction of a second, before one of her dummies lost an arm. She shook off her thoughts and continued her charge. All that mattered to her was getting to her destination.

There was a low hum as the cannon reached its full power. A flash of light, followed by a resounding blast. The shell launched chunks of dirt, foliage, and rock several meters into the air. Pieces of PPK and her dummies sailed in every direction. She squealed in pain and USP lost her connection on her HUD. "Mm~, that's enough for me. It was exciting while it lasted." She moaned, as she crawled out of the crater. The cannon, no longer seeing the wounded doll as a threat, turned to the others. The SF ground forces began to increase their cross fire. That gave USP an idea.

"Move towards the SF infantry! Try to pull them into blast zone." The dolls turned slightly off-course and approached the waiting infantry. USP turned to M1911 and nodded. The doll got the signal and tossed a smoke grenade into the fray. Now, the battlefield was in complete chaos. The trees, underbrush, and smoke seemed to temporarily confuse the cannon. It was only temporary.

_Boom._

M1911 vanished from USP's HUD. USP couldn't contact her in the confusion, so she pressed forward. P38 called over the radio. "I'm nearly at the base of the cannon! I'm advan – ah!" She cried out and her main unit collapsed. The dummies didn't know how to function, and began attacking the SF forces until the cannon turned them to wreckage. USP escaped the smokescreen and scrambled to a halt.

The Ghosts of Eden had been caught in the engagement with SF forces. The humans turned their weapons on her and opened fire. USP scrambled back into the smokescreen, where a Jupiter shell exploded in front of her. Dirt and dust clogged her eyes and mouth. She coughed and kept running in a random direction. A soft hand grabbed her shoulder. "This way, leader!" M1911 yelled over the roar of combat. The two dolls changed direction. "The cannon is focusing on the humans! Let's take this chance to hit it hard." The two exited the smokescreen.

They were on the far side of the cannon. A small team of SF Rippers guarded the base of the gun. Three SF infantry were no match for the handguns and their remaining dummies. The cannon fired again. This time, the screams were very human. As was the debris that rained down afterwards. USP took a deep breath and chucked down her bag near the base of the gun. She got to work setting up the bomb and turned to M1911. "Alright put…." She trailed off when she looked at the other dolls. "W-w-w-w-wha –"

"Oh, the bomb? I'm sorry leader~" She said and rubbed the back of her head. "I dropped it when the Jupiter shot at me. Ya know, the commander could have -"

"What happened your clothes!?" USP managed to cry out and hid her eyes behind her hands. M1911 looked down and covered herself. Shrapnel tore and singed chunks of her outfit and her 'skin' off. It left her in a rather precarious state of dress.

"Th-they're just a little ripped! I'd say they're pretty good considering what I went through!"

"B-b-but…aaaaaaaah," USP cried out, dropping to her knees and hiding "so inappropriate! How obscene! Lewd! Perverted!" M1911 began to cry.

"Just arm the bomb and let's get out of here!" USP fumbled with the bomb while trying not to look at M1911.

"There; it's armed!" USP stood up and threw her jacket at the other doll. "Cover yourself and let's go!" The two dolls hurried out of the blast radius, only pausing to watch as the electronic systems in the cannon to crackle and burst. Smoke and fire, coupled with the silence from the cannon, acted as a rally for the human rebels and for the critically damaged team. USP let the other doll celebrate for a moment before she hurried on her way to the heliport. 

Back at base, Bryant smiled to himself. They had done well with such a risky mission. At least the next cannon wouldn't be as much of a challenge. He slowly stretched and fumbled his way towards the repair bay. He didn't like sitting still. Not while his girls were out their fighting. The second helicopter filled with the replacement dummy units was already in place. All Bryant had to do was give the order…but there was something he was curious about. He began sorting through the base logs with the last of the backup power. He opened up the roster, and started sorting through the dossiers on the hard drive. Bryant ran his finger down the list, muttering a comment about each doll. The logs had been corrupted or destroyed, so there wasn't much of a selection. However, he stopped at one and smiled slightly.

"Oh…now, isn't this a surprise?" He moved the curser to the dossier and opened up the file. "Yes…I think she'll make a great addition to the team." He turned and slowly shuffled towards the repair console. "I just hope they have enough combat-cores leftover in storage." He opened the bay doors, and the system booted up slowly.

"Alright then…let's try this." He put his hand on the workstation. "System override ID `Bryant`: Engage ECHO protocol." The system responded to his hand and voice command.

"Override acknowledged. Welcome, Commander. Please select a Tactical Doll." Bryant smiled and selected the dossier. "Understood. After this operation you will have…one Combat Core remaining. ECHO system engaged. JS05 will be combat ready in... thirty-five seconds."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 – Encounter**

* * *

"Uuuuu…" Ringleader Destroyer watched as the Griffon dolls wrecked her cannon. She nervously played with her hair. "Dreamer and Architect are gonna be furious."

"Oh, most definitely." Alchemist entered the room, covered in blood. "One compound has been cleared. If you weren't such an idiot, that big, shiny target would be rubble by now."

"How am I the idiot?! Architect told me cannons had to be in a row!" Alchemist chuckled and began activating a clean dummy.

"You're an idiot for listening to an idiot."

"I just think their Commander is way strong." Destroyer punched the console and sobbed. "What are we gonna do~?"

Alchemist's dummy stepped down. It turned off the bloody dummy and smiled. "You should leave before the commander captures you." She grabbed a new set of weapons and turned to leave.

"H-hey! Don't leave me! Where are you going?!"

"Who? Me?" Alchemist sighed with bloodlust. "I was never here." And she vanished.

* * *

USP and M1911 stumbled past the cannon and into a clearing. PPk was already waiting for them, looking much much worse off then them. Half of her left arm was missing, and one of her legs had buckled in on itself. USP slumped down against a tree and called to Bryant. "C-commander… one down...but, I don't know i-if w-we can handle another one…"

"Don't worry, I've got a plan for that. You did very well, so you can take a breather…" his voice trailed off as he tapped away on a console. "There is - was - an evacuation heliport nearby. If you can get there, I can send the resupply truck here on base." He sent over the coordinates before signing off. USP willed herself to her feet. M1911 and USP grabbed PPk and helped her along towards the mark on their map.

The dolls made it to the heliport shortly before sunset. The sky was still a pale blue as tinges of red and purple dotted the horizon. Perfect for one last shoot-out. They radioed Bryant, who sent the resupply truck to their location. The rest of the team opened their last pack of rations and waited. The noises of battle began picking up again, with an increased amount of SF fire. Probably reinforcements. That did not bode well for the 'Ghosts of Eden'.

The truck slowly rumbled to the heliport. Bryant was helped out of the vehicle by a T-Doll, then he got to work on repairing the dolls. The new doll was a JS05 Sniper. Very powerful. JS05 handed out fresh clothes to the damaged dolls. P38 was gone. But with JS05, their firepower did not decrease as much. Spare dummy units hopped out of the back and synced with the main units still standing. A welcome relief. More bodies meant more bullets.

There was a brief lull. Something had changed. No gunfire. Power was cut from the island. The Jupiter cannons powered down. "Sangvis system shut down...I'm not seeing any activity from their ground troops." Bryant sighed.

"Thanks USP...let's pack up and-"

"Commander, broadcast on a public channel. It's for you." JS05 motioned to a pair of headphones for Bryant. He put one side to his ear.

"I'm impressed, Bryant. A shame it ended so soon." The voice said. Bryant remained silent. "When I first contacted you, I was worried you had changed. But now, I know I shouldn't have doubted. You're still just as annoying as before." USP looked in the distance. The human guerillas were rushing over the hill towards them. The G&K team would be in danger soon. "Still, you dont want a history lesson. So…"

The voice changed. It was clear; free from the warping and static. "Thank you for bringing all these lovely targets into one place." There was movement at the forest edge. A blur of white and black shredded through the line of approaching humans. Five of them dropped to the ground. The advance stopped. Everyone paused to watch as Alchemist wiped the fresh blood off her weapons.

"Dear God...it's a Ringleader."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – Ringleader**

"Ringleader."

It was the one word that still caused Bryant to freeze up. Ringleaders were difficult opponents. Powerful, ruthless, and terrifying. It took multiple Commanders and teams of dolls to bring down a single Ringleader _dummy._ On the rare occasion that Griffon can isolate a main-unit Ringleader, the fighting is horribly one sided against the PMCs. He couldn't think of a moment in recent history where those operations hadn't ended in disaster.

And Alchemist was one of the more dangerous ones. She had crushed numerous other commanders, and was fond of using traps. She would jam and track communications to lure teams into kill zones, then launch a surprise assault. Even if the team survived the first attack, she was practically a ghost. Dolls and other sensors lost her as soon as she moved.

Alchemist took a few slow steps forward before she renewed her attack. Bryant was paralyzed at that moment; alone, isolated, and unsure. USP Compact took one look at him then back to Alchemist. "M1911 and PPK, with me. Miss JS05, get ready and take a shot when you can." USP took off running towards the confusion. JS05 gently pushed the commander back towards the forest.

"Take cover, Commander! Leave this to us." She dove to the ground and set up her rifle. The Handguns had almost reached the Ringleader. Alchemist saw them coming and grinned. She backhanded the nearest human and chased down the Griffon Dolls. The Griffon team got closer and began to open fire. A few bullets hit their mark, but too many were missing. The miniscule amount of fire wasn't enough to make Alchemist slow down. And Alchemist came into range.

She vanished. The handgun dolls stopped in their tracks. A brief flicker of black appeared before one of M1911's dummies was shot to pieces. Alchemist reappeared a few feet away. The doll focused their efforts again, only for M1911 to take another hit. Alchemist had moved to the other side of their vision. She giggled before vanishing again. She appeared next to PPK.

A bullet whizzed by. It grazed Alchemist's arm and she jumped back. This was a turning point. JS05 hollered as the handguns rallied. Alchemist went on the defensive and returned fire as fast as she could. Her attacks were inaccurate and ineffective. It gave the Griffon dolls a moment to breathe and strategize. PPK swapped positions with USP. The two T-Dolls repositioned and reset. JS05 fired another shot. This one missed by a hair. And their recovery was over. Alchemist regained her momentum.

A split second of time was spared to plan. Bryant and the rest of the humans barely had time to process what had just happened before the combat resumed. Alchemist, true to form, charged dead ahead while shooting at the defending Dolls. She broke through the line of handguns and charged JS05. Alchemist opened fire at close range. JS05 couldn't get away in time, she curled up to protect her core. Alchemist smiled with glee and raised one of her gun-blades to stab her.

During Alchemist's charge, the Ghost of Eden had gathered themselves enough to make an escape. To run as far away as possible. The ones that wanted to stay and fight still had the sense to seek cover in the trees. "Ursula! Send the dolls, Spire security, anyone!"

"What?! But the-"

"The cannons aren't the problem. We have a Ringleader! She's tearing us apart out here!"

"R-right! Helian and I are on the way. Dont do anything crazy."

Bryant watched the fight, waiting for a chance to retreat. Alchemist raised her arm to stab JS05. A move that left her open for a second. It wasn't a big opportunity, he might be able to disable something. A risky move, a slim chance. That's all he needed. Bryant readied his gun and shot as accurately as he could while rushing towards the enemy. Alchemist flinched as the bullets hit her exposed side. Alchemist had a new target. Rage and murder filled her eyes as she closed in on Bryant and attacked.

Pain. Unbelievable pain. He had forgotten how strong T-Dolls were. Even more so, the SF dolls. Most dolls had to be given special orders to inflict harm on a human. The SF dolls didn't need that permission. And Bryant had all of three seconds to regret his actions before Alchemist was breathing down his neck. She slapped the gun out of his hand, probably breaking a few bones in the process. She then grabbed his arm and took it for a spin. His arm was definitely broken when she was finished. She brought her knee up into his chest, breaking the few intact ribs he had left. She picked up him, and slammed him into the ground.

Bryant lay on the ground. He took a shallow breath before gasping out in agony. Alchemist raised her blade again, and would not hesitate this time. However, PPK jumped onto Alchemist's back. She locked her arms around her neck and squeezed. M1911 ran forward and opened fire, both pistols dumping lead. Something must have snapped in the Ringleader's neural network. "Playtime is over, trash." Alchemist growled. She pointed a single gun at M1911 and shot a hole perfectly in the center of her head. She followed up with two more to the chest. She tore the T-Doll off her back and ran her through with one of her guns. She then tossed the body aside before shooting JS05 to death.

USP froze in the presence of such power. In moments she had reduced the Griffon team to a broken pile of scrap. Alchemist turned her lethal gaze on USP. "You arent even fit for this scrap heap." Both dolls aimed their weapons and prepared to fire. USP shot first… and the bullet went right through the empty air. Alchemist appeared next to USP. The Ringleader pulled the trigger, tearing USP's arm clean off. USP stumbled backwards and tripped.

A helicopter whirred in the distance. Alchemist sighed. "Ah, shame. I was just starting to enjoy this." She shrugged and walked over to Bryant. "Goodbye, 'dear Commander'." She pointed her gun. USP struggled and rolled on her side. Warning messages kept repeating: 'warning: critical damage' 'Error: Right arm disabled' 'Out of ammo' 'power at 10%'. USP forced herself to her feet and stumbled towards Alchemist. She lunged at the Ringleader and tried to tackle her. Alchemist stepped to the side and USP tripped over Bryant. She felt something as she landed. She grabbed it and rolled to face Alchemist and fired a few shots from Bryant's handgun.

The shots did next to nothing, but it caught her off guard. The helicopter passed overhead, and the rest of the combat dolls began to deploy. Alchemist hissed and considered her next move. Retreat was the unfortunate reality. "More trash...I'm running low on ammo." She turned to Bryant. A playful smile crossed her face. "Stay, fight, or run away again," she sighed as she dissapeared, "we will meet again."

Ursula jumped out of the helicopter as it touched down. A large team of Spire security rushed in and secured the area as the dolls collected scraps, neural clouds, and cores. Ursula ran over to Bryant and USP. "Oh no, Commander!" She panicked and knelt next to him, unsure where to start the medical aid. USP reached out to them, but another doll pulled her back.

"USP, I need to lock you out of Level II so your neural cloud doesn't fail. Enter power-save mode, please."

"B-b-but the Commander..." She couldn't really resist, not with the damage she recieved. She made one halfhearted attempt to struggle, but found her world going dark. And so she was left in Level I.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 - Windfall**

A signal was sent to Level I. USP felt herself wakinging up. Several unopened diagnostic reports needed of attention. Her new arm was half-calibrated and she was back to full power. Her internal clock had been paused during her repairs. A few A-Dolls were finishing up the repairs while humming softly. The walls were familiar. "Home…" USP whispered slightly. The A-Dolls chatted with her while they finished their repairs. She updated her Neural Cloud and recieved the latest information.

A few hours later, USP walked out of the repair bay, good as new. She dashed towards the Commander's room. The door was shut and locked. She turned and dashed towards the Comms Room. His glasses lay on the big monitor, right where he had forgotten them. USP left the room and dashed towards the Data Room. Kalina and Ursula stood looking over the combat reports. They both looked up at USP. "Um….where is Commander Bryant?" Ursula looked to Kalina and sighed.

"Bryant was hurt really bad. He had to be taken to a specialist because of the damage." Kalina nodded and gave USP a pat on the head.

"He'll heal...but it will take time. The doctors are taking good care of him."

"So dont worry, okay? Leave everything to us." Ursula said, trying to mimic Bryants optimism. USP put her head down. A few tears rolled down her face.

"We failed him...we let our commander get hurt." Ursula shook her head.

"Ringleaders are brutal enemies. You did well just to survive. Especially against Alchemist." Ursula picked up a combat report and handed it to USP. "Here, take a look." The papers outlined the entire battle. Not that she needed it, the details were still fresh in USP's mind. "Five seconds after Alchemist engaged with the team, she vanished from everything. All sensors went dark, and the clouds we recovered had no records of her.

"Then, she appears for 2 seconds until Bryant shoots. She is half-visible when PPK jumps on her back. Then she completely vanishes again." Ursula finished explaining the details to USP. Everything made even less sense than when the fight was going on. But, USP finally understood one thing. It was impossible to go up against a Ringleader.

An A-Doll entered the room after knocking. "Miss Kalina, Commander Ursula: Miss Helianthus just called. She'll be on base in twenty minutes." The doll handed Ursula a document. "She says it's not urgent, but she would still like to talk to you." Ursula thanked her and studied the document for a moment.

"Oh wow…this is game-changing stuff here!" She said with hushed excitement. "Kalina," Ursula practically threw the document at her, "take a look at this!" The other woman looked at it and had a similar reaction.

"AH! We're gonna be loaded~." She spun around and hugged Ursula. "This is a gold mine." The two women continued buzzing excitedly while USP watched. Kalina grabbed USP by the wrist. "Come with me! We're gonna rack up all kinds of charges on the Commander's Account!" Kalina dragged USP with them as they hurried over to the helipad. Ursula was busy preparing herself for the meeting while Kalina was picking out all kinds of frivolous things that they could purchase for the base.

When Helian finally arrived, she looked rather sour. Well, more so than normal. Helian and Kalina quickly composed themselves to match her tone. Ursula saluted. "Ma'am. What can we do for you?" She paused and handed a few more documents to Ursula.

"I'd like you to go over these with the construction dolls. We are going to make some massive changes to the local network here." Ursula quickly perused them and turned back to Helian.

"I see. So...this 'ECHO' protocol? How does it work?" Helian adjusted her monocle.

"Well," she began as Ursula tried to pay attention, "Third Generation T-Dolls can back up their neural clouds in case they get damaged. However, replacing them requires their old body, or at least their digimind."

"I see...that's how Bryant lost his team during Lancet…"

"However, the ECHO protocol provides a solution." Helian made a gesture like she was taking a picture. "It takes a 'snapshot' of the Digimind and Neural Cloud at once, and provides the means to overwrite a Dummy's Digimind."

"So, we can bring back dolls from their most recent ECHO?" Ursula said softly. While this did open up a significant amount of options in combat, it also meant that more brutal strategies could be taken.

"Yes. that seems to be the case...we haven't had many commanders willing to test that theory, however." Understandable, given the circumstances. "However, we were successful in creating ECHOs from old Neural Fragments. Well release a full report soon." Ursula and Kalina nodded.

"Brilliant. We'll get to work on these changes. Thank you, Miss Helian. Is there anything else?"

"Also, there is the matter of Bryant." Even though she tried her best not to show it, a bit of concern came through her words. "I hear he took quite the beating. Will he be alright? Is he awake yet?" Ursula winced slightly.

"Mostly. The doctors say he'll be high on painkillers for another few hours. Once those wear off, he'll be getting prepped for another surgery." Helian nodded slowly. "He's out of the worst of it: Alchemist didn't seem interested in killing him quickly. However, they are concerned about..." Ursula looked at USP and stopped.

"I see. I'll have to see him after he returns." Helian cur Ursula off. "But," she made a motion to the base, "shall we?" The two women walked off towards the Comms Room. Kalina and USP followed a little behind, trying to juggle their other tasks and their curiosity. "Despite this discovery, and the success of Lancet, SF still has a massive advantage against us. But not for long. So Ursula, we're beginning another massive operation."

"Oh?" She opened the door for Helian and set up the monitors. "How many teams are involved this time?"

"Well, given Bryant's condition," she stopped and looked at the Commander, "just your teams." Ursula and Kalina nearly choked.

"Wha-wha-what?!" Everyone began buzzing with concern and a little bit of excitement. "But, Ma'am, we had dozens of Commanders and combat teams for Lancet."

"Unfortunately, we don't have the time to gather anyone else. The operation will begin as soon as we confirm our HVT's destination." Helian continued and pulled up a map. "She's headed deep into Sector 9, most likely headed towards a 16Lab Safehouse."

"Why not a Griffon Outpost? There's dozens on the way." Helian nodded.

"She's a special T-Doll designed by Persica of 16Labs. While she technically works for Griffon, she reports to Persica and Persica alone. There is a lot of classified documents I'll need to send you." Ursula took a step back.

"Oh nonono. Respectfully ma'am, I'm not ready to get involved in Black Ops."

"You don't have a choice, Commander." She pulled up a map of the targets most recent locations. With each new location, a large Sangvis signature was getting closer. It would be on top of her in a matter of days. "Commander Ursula..if you don't take this mission," there was a slight pause as the map updated, "We lose everything". The signature, most definitely a Ringleader, had gained significant ground. "That doll is special. Her neural cloud can't be backed up. Her body can't be replaced. And she is carrying our only hope against Sangvis Ferri." The room fell silent.

"Who are we rescuing?" Ursula asked, a little deflated.

"Her designation is 'M4A1'."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 - M4**

* * *

M4 ran as hard as she could. It wasn't far now. It wouldn't be long now. The enemy was getting closer. Never within striking distance, but always a threat. M4 stopped to catch her breath and refocus her map. She'd have to pass through the heart of S9. It would take her right to the safe house. And even though several Griffon outposts were nearby, she couldn't endanger anyone else. She was on her own. If she couldn't keep her own team safe, she couldn't endanger any more strangers. So she ran, avoiding SF and Griffon patrols alike.

"M4A1…" a rough voice spoke through her communicator. "I've almost caught up to you!" The Ringleader signature had closed in during her brief pause. "Be a good princess and DIE ALREADY!" The Ringleader was gaining. M4 was frozen.

"Do I run? How much longer can I keep this up?" She spoke to herself as she ran. Her mind and body were starting to wear out. She hadn't rested in days. She barely had any ammo left. And now a pursuit Ringleader had found her.

"Ah! Look at that, I can see you now. I'll deal with you first, then the bastards that did in Scarecrow." M4 glanced behind her and saw a small black figure on the horizon. She had hours before she'd be in combat distance. M4 swallowed hard and kept running dead ahead. Sangvis units began activating all around her.

"M16...STAR...SOPMOD...I won't give up...but where can I go? What can I do? I wish you were here…" she increased her speed and tried to put distance between herself and the enemy. That was all she could do.

* * *

Ursula jumped out of the helicopter as soon as it touched down and began to issue orders. She put on an armored vest and took a spare rifle. Not that she intended to fight, but she wanted to be ready. SAR21 stood close to her and linked up with the rest of her team. Sangvis forces were activating and gathering. Almost as if they were responding to something or someone. "SAR, intercept the scout units."

"Yes, Commander. Engaging." The combat team rushed off towards the enemy. A loud voice came over the communicator.

"Hey, hey, hey! Commander~" M9 basically yelled into the radio, "What are my orders?"

"Miss Thompson, please do your best to lock down the enemies long-range forces. The Jaegers specifically. Bryant always hated fighting them, and he probably had a good reason." A more calm voice replied to Ursula while M9 kept talking in the background.

"Yeah, got it boss. M14 and M21 will stay on overwatch. The rest of us will keep them inside the killzone." Thomspon cut off M9's protests. Ursula turned to the comms team she brought. All of them were dependable A-Dolls, and they were blindingly fast at distributing orders and information reports. USP was assisting them, along with the rest of the T-Dolls from Bryant's team.

"Alright ladies: let's take care of business. Open up a line with Miss Helianthus." The team nodded and got to work. The line was established. "Ma'am, were are ready to begin the operation." There was a click as the static cleared.

"Good luck and Godspeed. Bring M4 back home." Helian closed the line, but was no doubt watching from headquarters. This was probably just as taxing on her as it was on Ursula. The whole operation - and likely all of Griffon - rest on their shoulders. The operation had to go smoothly.

The sounds of gunfire picked up as SAR's team engaged the enemy. Thompson's team was holding one of the choke points, and the few combat teams Ursula could scrounge together were keeping SF busy. The communication Outpost was buzzing. Dolls looking for new orders, sitreps, and search reports: the amount information would have required dozens of humans to keep track of. The small team did their best and kept efficiency at seventy-five percent. Far above their average.

USP finished with a request for resupply when a private request came to her from Level I. She hesitated, but answered. "Um...hello?" There was a raspy breath on the other end.

"Oh. Hey. It worked." Bryant mumbled. He sounded completely delirious. "Been trying … to get ya….for an hour."

"C-c-commander!?" USP shrieked and stood up. "W-w-what are you doing?!"

"Commiting war crimes…" he mumbled again and put a marker on USP's GPS. "Dinergates...take Spectre...call me back…" he trailed off and she lost the signal. USP took a long look at the marker. It was close: almost ontop of them. USP ran out of the base and looked in the distance. A dozen or so Dinergates were bounding towards them. The defense team wasn't ready, so a small force of these drones could destroy the Command Center. USP ran back inside and grabbed Spectre.

The Submachine Gun doll was less-than pleased to stomp out a few Dinergates, but they were able to handle it nicely. The ones that survived turned tail and ran the other way, which was expected. USP called Bryant while Spectre poked a Dinergate with a stick. "Commander: the enemy had been taken care of."

"Huh? Oh? Yeah, 'gates." Bryant mumbled. He took a sharp breath and hissed out a jumbled curse. "Ah. Better-" USP yelped as Spectre shot the downed drone.

"Sorry, it moved."

"USP...open up a...wide range communication."

"Commander, th-thats r-really unsafe."

"It's okay, I have about two seconds…" she heard some slow typing, "now, love." He took a deep breath and USP opened the connection. After a second, Bryant spoke.

"Attention Tactical Doll M4A1." He said. His voice sounded significantly better, less weak. He was obviously putting on a show, but it was an impressive one. "SF forces are closing in. Zone 5 is being secured as we speak…" USP opened a set of coordinates Bryant had sent. "SF won't have the passcode for the safehouse, but they're close enough to follow you. Meet up with my team, and the team led by Commander Ursula at the coordinates and wait."

There was a pause so Bryant could breathe. "We're coming for you: don't give up." USP had to shutdown the channel. "Did we get it out?"

"I th-think so. C-commander?"

"Rejoin Ursula's offensive...I'll be...coordinating...from…" he trailed off and the line went quiet. USP sighed, but orders were orders. She ran off towards the frontline, quietly praying to avoid the enemy. Spectre was with her, at least. Neither of them had much combat experience.

They passed by the larger squads, leaving then for SAR and Thompson's teams. Instead, they focused on destroying the smaller forces of drone units. It was a good way to warm up for bigger fights. USP sent a copy of Bryant's message to Ursula, who decided it was best to follow his lead. She rearranged her squads and began a push towards the rally point.

USP slowed a bit as her neural cloud seized up. Something was wrong again. She was picking up several signals from well outside her usual range. Most were SF, there was one that was neither SF nor Griffon. Friendly, but not familiar. USP shook her head and willed herself to stand. She had a lock on the signals.

SAR made a call to Ursula as soon as USP shared the data. "Commander, I think we have a lock on M4A1's signal. We are closing in now."

"Right," Ursula responded, "I'm on my way. Keep her safe at all costs! I'll be at the rally point in sixty minutes." SAR acknowledged and ended the call.

"Miss USP, miss Spectre: please join my team until the end of this mission." The two dolls agreed and synced up with SAR. They hurried off and waited at the safehouse. The enemy was not prepared to make a move here, so the team set up defensive lines, barricades, and other countermeasures against SF infantry.

The drum of their overwatch faded as Thompson's team moved up to support them. Twenty minutes passed without incident. A T-Doll appeared over the horizon, coming into sensor range. An unknown doll, no doubt their rescue target. M4 saw the small encampment and changed course towards them. Another ten minutes passed.

M4 was nearly at the destination, when another figure appeared in the distance. As it entered sensor range, SF units began activating around SAR's team. Everyone paused as a call came through all open channels.

"Griffon Scum and the princess all in one place! It's my lucky day!" The enemy Ringleader picked up speed. More SF units activated and began to swarm the defensive tram. Orders were given, but help was still several minutes out. "I am Ringleader Executioner of Sangis Ferri! And today is your last day on Earth!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 - Termination**

Executioner increased her speed and rallied her forces. It was do or die. They set upon the Griffon defense like a tidal wave. SAR's team activated their combat protocols and advanced to meet them. They reached the farthest barriar and prepared to fight off the SF mechanical units. Dinergates, Prowlers, and Scout units rushed the team. They were weaker than their infantry, but much more agile. Often, they were the first units in, and they pointed out the weak links.

SAR shot down a few Scouts and called out. "We won't be able to hold them for long," she said to Ursula, "Way too many! We'll hold them back until M4 reaches the second line." USP and Spectre stayed as close to the enemy as they dared: Close enough to engage the Dinergates in melee combat - not that they would - but well away from Executioner.

"M4 has reached Line Two: everyone ready?" USP could barely hear anything over the drum of gunfire and the squeal of breaking machinery. She was thankful for the Zerner link they had set up. It fed them enemy data, battlefield conditions, and new orders. Like, an order to retreat. Spectre got the order first and turned to run. She sprinted past the backline and took up her position near Line Two. USP retreated next, then the backline, and last was SAR.

The enemy infantry had caught up to the mechanized units. SAR ordered the combat-ready dummies out into position. They dug in for the real fight now. Ten minutes passed: ten minutes until help arrived. There was a brief lull in combat. The dolls took the time to resupply.

"Um...thank you." M4 said softly. She looked tired, but not damaged. USP handed her a package of snacks and ammo. M4 graciously took them.

"Alright, link up:" SAR said as she brought out some new information, "we have one more line set up, and then the rally point." Ursula was in the call, getting closer. Her signal was in range now.

"Good. Don't be afraid to fall back if Executioner engages. We can afford to lose a resupply point, but don't give up that last line too quickly."

"T-that might not be possible." USP said. "Executioner is fast and strong...it'd be impossible for us to win." SAR shook her head.

"We have to try, USP." She peaked over a sandbag. "Enemy infantry is getting close. M4, can you fight?" The doll nodded. "Good. Miss USP, miss Spectre: I leave M4 to you." USP and Spectre nodded. Guard duty was something they both could do. The dolls split up and prepared to engage.

Spectre took a sharp breath and ran forward, right to the edge of their defenses. She marked targets for the backline dolls. She specialized in frontline-combat. While she didn't look it, she was fast and had wonderful reaction speed. It helped her hold her own against even a massive enemy force. It was impressive, at least to USP.

One of her dummies exploded. Executioner had arrived. She smiled and took another shot at M4. Spectre moved in front of it. The SMG shrugged off the blow, but she couldn't take much more. "SAR, I don't-"

"M4, fall back to line three! USP, Spectre, hold them back a little bit." USP whined, but ran up to help Spectre. It was the second time she was face to face with a Ringleader. And it wasn't any less horrifying. Executioner was slightly different from Alchemist, however. Her face displayed only hate and bloodlust. No sick joy, only the desire to see blood and hydraulic fluid. That, and her right arm was a mangled mess of parts that resembled a claw. At the end of that claw was a hand that gripped a large sword designed to shred dolls to pieces. Dolls like M4. Dolls like USP and Spectre.

Executioner showed no hurry. She sauntered up to the defending T-Dolls with little concern for her own safety. The bullets that found their mark didn't seem to do much damage, and Executioner's modified arm was like a shield. With each step she put more bullets into Spectre and USP. Their dummies were begining to waver. "M4 has reached the final line! Retreat!" SAR shouted, panic in her voice.

"Oh no you don't!" Executioner took her sword and took a step back. There was a slight flash of light and she swung her sword. A blast of wind flew by Spectre, knocking her back. USP was sent tumbling, and one of her dummies was shredded to bits. One of SAR's partners was heavily damaged and needed to leave the battle.

"STG is hurt!"

"We can't stay here any longer!"

"Wait," Spectre regained her balance, "I still got this! Go regroup." Spectre advanced and started shooting at Executioner again. USP struggled to get feet as FNC and SAR dragged what was left of STG towards the final defensive line. USP turned to join them, then stopped to look at Spectre. None of USP's dummies were responding, so what could she do?

Executioner leapt over the makeshift wall and ran up to Spectre. In melee range, the Ringleader had a distinct and unfair advantage. Spectre did a good job of dodging the blade, but her dummy did not fare as well. the enemy was waiting for her moment. Executioner anticipated her dodge and turned to swing. USP pushed Spectre down and out of the way just before the sword cut then in half. Executioner stumbled. The Griffon dolls hopped up and made some distance.

"STG is stable and the defenses are set. Miss Thompson's team is almost here!" SAR said over the radio. The other dolls were only minutes out. Within sight, but still to far for suppressive fire. Ursula would be bringing more combat teams as well. Hopefully it would be enough. "Get out of there; we'll cover you!"

Spectre turned to USP. "You first, you got little legs." She said with a smirk and opened fire on Executioner. USP did not need to be told twice. She ran as fast as she could to the defensive line. Spectre emptied her magazine and turned to catch up. Executioner cursed and resumed her pursuit.

USP ran as hard as she could, but Executioner was gaining. All the while shouting obscene things. Spectre chuckled as she caught up and reloaded. "I think I liked her better when she was cocky."

"Thompson here! We've set up a kill zone for the small-fry. I'll be coming to help you against the big one. Four O'Clock sharp, ya?" The two turned and saw another Griffon team heading their way. They immediately opened fire on Executioner while the snipers took out the rest of the SF infantry. A small cheer escaped as the battle seemed to turn. But it had just entered it's most dangerous phase.

Executioner roared and increased her speed. She had taken a minor amount of damage, but it didn't even seem to slow her down. She was gaining on the dolls despite their lead and the fire from the other assualt rifles. Ursula's covoy crested over a hill, with dozens of helicopters ready to drop combat teams off. Executioner was out of time. She needed to end this, and end it now.

She tossed her handgun aside and jumped into the center of the group. Ignoring all damage, she charged directly at M4. Thompson activated her Forceshield and stopped the SF advance. "Now: light 'er up!" Thompson raised her gun and smiled. Executioner tried her best to dodge the wall of bullets. But once the main combat echelons arrived, it would be over for her. Executioner roared as her leg gave out under the sheer amount of fire.

Executioner twisted in one last effort. Her sword left her hand at blinding speed, sailing directly at M4. USP was the first to act. She grabbed M4 and pushed her back and took her place. Executioner face twisted into a smile of regret. Her last resort had failed...she had failed. Her damaged leg crumpled, and the rest of the Griffon combat teams reduced her to a mess of scrap.

SAR and Spectre ran over to USP. She was lying on the ground, curled up in a ball. Spectre lifted her up, and she was sobbing. A small gash was on her forehead. But that was the only injury she sustained. "Why did I do that?!" She sobbed and held her head. "I almost died~!"

Spectre cracked up. "Those little legs of yours saved you" she pointed to the wall behind them. USP's hat was impaled into the cement by Executioner's sword. It would have gone through M4's head. "If you were just a hair taller, that would have gone through your skull."

USP sobbed some more. "That's not funny!"

On the other end of the battlefield, there was silence. The remaining SF troops stopped moving. Without a Ringleader, they became passive and harmless. Still, that didn't mean the Griffon Dolls stoped shooting. Targets were easier to hit when they aren't moving. The team surrounded the Ringleader. Executioner was hardly recognizable. She moved what was left of her head slightly to look up at the dolls surrounding her. M4 approached her.

"Heh...so much for that. If this is all SF had..." She said, turning her gun to the Ringleader, "then you had no hope of catching me."

Executioner smiled. Her voice was distorted from the damage. "We have other ways … to get you. Like...the others in the...AR team." M4 squeezed the trigger. The echo of gunfire continued until M4 was out of ammo. She lowered the smoking gun and frowned.

"You shouldn't have mentioned them." The Dolls stood at attention as Ursula arrived. M4 turned slightly. "Finally….a friendly face." She said, the exhaustion dripping from her words. "Commander ...please help us."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 - Hospital Visit**

USP played with her hands as the helicopter slowly descended. She took a slow breath and followed Ursula out. Ursula was in her street clothes, and USP had been stuffed into something more 'girly', as Ursula had put it, to 'bring some sunshine' to Bryant. The two didn't look out of place, but USP certainly felt like they did. "Did you leave your gear at base?" Ursula asked over her shoulder.

"Yes ma'am."

"And did you make the changes to your IFF?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And did the others show you how to mimic a biological signature?"

"Sort of? I can only do it for a few seconds." Ursula shrugged.

"Good enough," she winked and stuck out her tongue, "you are my ticket in here, so get ready." They approached the hospital.

"W-wait, wha-wha?" Ursula winked and gave her a signal. USP sighed and did her best. They nervously walked through the first door. The sensor beeped and turned green as they passed. USP glanced to the side and noticed a small sign by the door. 'NO DOLLS ALLOWED'. She swallowed hard and felt the panic rise. The armed guards glared at her. USP couldn't shake the feeling that they knew. Ursula just waved politely at them and put a hand on USP's back and gently guided her to the Receptionist. The young man smiled.

"Good Afternoon. How may I help you?"

"We're here to visit a patient; Zachary Bryant?"

"I'm sorry, I can only allow family members to visit him right now."

"This is Yulia Bryant. I'm her caretaker, Ursula McRoy." The receptionist turned to his keyboard and entered their names. USP looked up at Ursula with a look of panic.

"C-c-c-" Ursula pinched her and shot her a glare. USP yelped softly and looked down. The Receptionist was too busy to notice. He finished typing and gave a slight smile to Ursula.

"Alright, all signed in. He's on the eight floor, room 8011." Ursula nodded and thanked him. They passed through another security checkpoint and entered the elevator. Once they were inside, USP turned to Ursula.

"You used me!"

Ursula nodded with a devilish smile. "I did indeed."

"You lied, too!"

"Of course. Sometimes humans lie. That's life." Ursula shrugged.

"But, to a Doll, thats…." Ursula smiled.

"Lies aren't _always_ bad. But I guess if it's your programming, there's nothing we can do." USP thought for a second.

"S-so…I should say…I'm 'Yulia' while I'm here?" Ursula nodded.

"Is…is that an order?" Ursula nodded again. USP tugged at her shirt and frowned. "Ok then…I'll do my best." The elevator opened, and the two stepped out. Ursula led the way to the room. USP looked inside the rooms as they passed. Some were filled with the dying, some were empty. A few were filled with mourners, and others with smiling and laughing families. Such a contrast was slightly jarring. The two walked in a careful silence until they reached the room. The door was shut slightly, and hushed voices came from within. Ursula knocked and waited.

"Come in. I'm almost done." Bryant said, his voice stronger than the last time they talked. The two entered the room. A pair of doctors were fitting something to the stump where Bryant's arm had been. USP and Ursula stood in silence while they finished. The room was quiet while the one doctor hooked up a sensor and adjusted several dials. He kept turning one, while the other tracked his responses. Bryant took his left arm and made a gentle gesture. "Okay, yeah, I feel that." One doctor wrote a note and they took the device off.

Bryant leaned back in the bed. "You've grown a lot, Yulia." Bryant said, a significant amount of sarcasm in his voice. He was wired up to several machines, but he looked to be in good spirits. The doctors politely excused themselves and left. USP and Ursula sat next to him. Ursula smiled softly.

"You would be proud: she got in here all by herself." Bryant chuckled softly. His face twisted in pain, but he smiled after the pain passed. "Although, it was dicey there for a few seconds." He chuckled again.

"As expected," He sighed and propped himself up, "you like to cut it close to the wire." He took a few shallow breaths before giving one of his characteristic smiles. "Glad to see you didn't screw up." Ursula rolled her eyes.

"Can we skip the pleasantries and discuss the elephant in the room?" Bryant's smile fell instantly. He sighed and looked at the wall behind USP.

"My shoulder and elbow were blown apart. Couldn't be fixed. Radius broken in seven spots; ulna pretty much turned to dust." He winced and twisted his left wrist. "Major muscle tears, wrist severed internally." He handed Ursula a package of x-rays. "But hey, if you connect the dots in my ulna x-ray you get a giraffe." USP and Ursula frowned.

"So...are cybernetics an option?" She asked quietly. He shook his head.

"My body rejected them. I'll need four or five months of gene therapy before they even want to try again." He turned to USP. "I'll be counting on you especially. I'm going to be borderline useless for a while."

USP inched closer. "You mean…. you're coming back? "

"Of course. Alchemist and I are one-for-one. We have to settle the score for real this time." His smile returned as he changed subjects. "Helian told me about the ECHO system though. I'm not 'eager' to try it out, but hey: safety net." Ursula and USP made a face.

"How did Helian get in here? Family members only." Bryant cocked his head. "You….you do know Helian, yourself, and Kalina are all down as family members, right?" Ursula slowly turned red. "How the hell did you get in here?!" Ursula quietly toyed with her hands.

"I…" Ursula said, "had SAR hack into the system and add USP as your daughter and myself as her guardian during your injury." She hid her face in her hands. "And then I had Kalina help me teach USP to be more human to avoid being spotted."

Bryant broke out in a deep bit of laughter. The monitors attached to him went crazy, and his laughs were interrupted by whines of pain. Ursula yelled out. "It's not funny! And you'll hurt yourself. " Bryant sighed.

"Oh, this is the most fun I've had all day." He settled down and a nurse came in to scold them. After a few minutes of pleasantries, it was time to go. "Oh, Ursula, did you bring the things from Kalina?" Ursula nodded and rummaged in her purse for a second. She handed him an old phone.

"You only have three minutes left on it." Bryant chuckled and struggled slightly to take it. He smiled and gave a villainous chuckle.

"Perfect. That's more than enough." He leaned back and tucked the phone under his pillow. "Take care on the way out. I'll see you soon, Yulia." USP blushed slightly. It felt weird to be called by a human name. "Um...yes. s-s-see you soon, then." Bryant waved to them and settled back into bed.

"What did Bryant want?" USP asked softly as they entered the elevator.

"An old burner phone without a GPS. Why?"

"That's oddly specific. "

"Bryant is an oddly specific man." Ursula said with a shrug before the doors opened. USP could not argue with that. Ursula and USP left the hospital quickly after doors opened. The less they dealt with security, the better. The sensor turned green as they left, and USP let out a sigh of relief. "I was so nervous. Thank goodness they didn't figure us out." USP put a hand over her heart and sighed again.

She then turned to Ursula in a rage. "Tell me about these things before hand! I need to prepare" she stamped her foot, "if I were still a civilian protector model, I'd arrest you here and now!"

"Wait, what?" Ursula asked. USP puffed herself up as much as she could. A smug smile formed on her face.

"I was a proud civilian protector for eight months before joining G&K." Ursula sighed and put her head in her hands.

"So, you still have the IFF settings?" USP nodded proudly. Ursula sobbed and covered her face. "Civilian Protectors have access to hospitals and police stations! All I'd need to do is show my Griffin ID!" USP got angrier. She pouted all the way back to the helipad. While they waited, Ursula pulled out Bryant's x-rays. The two of them looked at his arm for a bit. "Damn thing does look like a giraffe."

* * *

Alchemist sat in the command center and waited. That's almost all she ever did. "Alchemist." The communicator lit up.

"My my, a call from our dear Agent? So good to see you back in one piece." Agent did not respond. There was a slight pause.

"Is everything set up?" Alchemist nodded.

"Nearly. How are the others doing?"

"Hunter is in pursuit of AR-15 and the M4 SOPMOD II. Intruder followed M16 into the mountains. They won't escape. "

"Ah, to be free to stalk again. How I miss it. And Executioner?" Alchemist asked. There was another pause.

"Killed in action. M4A1 was rescued by a Commander from Griffin." Alchemist was silent for a moment. "We are currently changing strategies, but it will take time."

"Which Commander was it?"

"No one you would know." Agent said. "That playmate of yours is dead, yes?"

Alchemist started to answer, but a message came through the emergency channel directly to her. The encryption and security on the message was insanely high for such a short message. Alchemist switched over to receive it. "I lived, bitch." And the message was over, the line severed. Alchemist felt something. A burning fire within her chest and throat. Was this what the humans called 'rage'? Whatever it was, Alchemist did not enjoy it.

"Alchemist?" Agent asked her question again. Alchemist stopped and smiled.

"If he isn't, he will be. Very. _Very._ Soon."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 - Following the Trail**

Ursula looked at the mission map once more. Normally she'd be happy to see SF corpses littering a battlefield. But the _way_ they had been destroyed warented some extra attention. Torn to ribbons, sometimes beaten with their own limbs. Monsterous gashes. Bite marks. It made her throat and stomach tighten. SAR put a hand to her mouth. "Who….or what did this?"

"I have no idea…it's ridiculous." Ursula thought for a second. "No human or doll could have done that." SAR agreed.

"At least, not without taking casualties. I doubt even the military could do something like that." M4 and Helian connected to the Command Room. Ursula linked everyone together and shared the information. M4 was quiet for a moment.

"Commander Ursula," she said while pointing to a spot on the map, "Can you zoom in on that Vespid unit?" Ursula did. The image was blurry and pixilated, but M4 nodded slowly. "I think that Vespid is missing an eye." There was a beep and Bryant connected to from the hospital.

"Definitely missing an eye. Good catch, M4." He muttered. He took a slow breath. "USP is operating in the area right now, per Commander Ursula. I'll have her check the bodies again." Ursula shook her head.

"Okay….and how is this important?" She asked, more than a little frustrated.

"M4 SOPMOD II likes to take trophies from SF she kills. Especially the eyes." M4 said with a disgusted shudder. "I wish she wouldn't, but I can't be helped, I guess it's just how she is."

"Are you saying one doll did all this?" Helian looked at Ursula.

"The AR team are top-of-the-line dolls. Each one is a rivals to an SF Ringleader. Together, they are nearly unstoppable." Helian shrugged. "Or, so Persica says." Bryant chuckled.

"I believe it," USP said. A static image of the doll popped up next to Bryant. "The damage is consistent with the AR teams declassified combat reports." There was some muffled gunfire in the background. "However, we found a stray Griffin IFF signature. It is moving away at high speeds. Permission to follow it, Commanders?"

Bryant and Ursula both turned their gaze to Helian. She nodded. "Granted. Let's hope the doll knows about M4 SOPMOD II."

"Alright then, Commanders. I'm off."

"Good luck, USP. Keep the others safe."

"Don't worry. It'll be fine." She said with a smile. She disconnected and called the rest of her team to her. "Okay then. Let's go find our missing doll."

They dispersed and began the search. USP couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She inched closer to the signature, carefully avoiding disabled SF troops. There was a biological signature nearby, also following the Griffin team. USP stopped. The biological signature stopped. She turned towards it and paused. She slowly raised her gun.

"Commander...I think...there's-"

"USP...if they are armed, you have permission to kill them." Bryant said coldly.

"Bryant," Helian interrupted. "You don't have that authority. USP Compact; defend yourself if you must. Do not use excessive force."

USP nodded and took aim. "I am a Tactical Doll under the command of Griffin & Kryuger. Come out with your hands up!" She called out as she inched closer. The other dolls surrounded the hiding spot and waited. USP gave the signal to advance. As soon as she lifted her hand, several grenades landed at their feet. There was a flash of light and everything was quiet.

* * *

Some time later, USP went through her emergency restart. Several key systems were offline, either fried by the EMP or still rebooting. Bryant had increased their EMP hardening, and that decision paid off. She slowly adjusted to the area.

They had been dragged inside a ruined building. Half the roof had caved in, and the other half was rotted away. Several humans had SF and Griffin dolls rigged up to machines, their insides exposed. They were picking at parts, pulling out valuable ones and tossing them onto a pile. She heard muffled words, but couldn't quite understand.

They came to her and put something on her head. "This one's good." The one said, before kicking USP on the side of the head. Anti-Android scavengers, USP assumed. Or they acted like them at least. They put the device up against another Griffin doll. They picked her up and began to discect.

Gunshots echoed outside. All activity inside switched from scavenging to fighting. Everyone drew their guns and waited. A few seconds later, a hail of bullets tore through the rubble, shredding everything inside the building. USP lay as still as she could until the gunfire stopped.

Her vision still hadn't full adjusted, but she noticed a doll in gray and white enter. She looked around and spotted USP. Just as she went to make a move, there was a flash of movement. A black doll ran in and slammed something into the back of the white doll's head. More gunfire came from the other side.

The white doll turned to face her attackers, so USP jumped up and took her chance. She grabbed a dropcloth from off the ground and threw it over the white doll's head. The black doll came running in from the other side and slammed into the blinded doll, knocking her over and into a heap of parts.

"Whooo! Take that!" The black doll said while giving USP a high five. The pink doll lowered her gun and ran by.

"Let's go! She won't stay down for long." The three ran off, with the enemy close behind. The pink doll began speaking, but USP couldn't understand. She started lagging behind. Her legs gave out and she tumbled forward. The pursuing doll jumped over USP and kept running after the other two. By the time USP had finished her diagnostics, they were gone.

USP sat up and gently slapped her cheeks until her systems came back online. She could move, communicate, and see now. Her combat systems were mostly offline. Sensors were down, so she was running 'blind' at this point. There was a communication outpost nearby that she could use to contact the Commander. But was it safe?

USP continued on towards the outpost. The compass was online, so it made following her map a little easier. She found the outpost soon enough. It looked...unsafe. something felt off. But, she needed help. Or at least let Bryant know what happened. She entered and began fiddling with the equipment. She knew how to set it up... mostly. But she hadn't done it by hand since the production tests.

"Commander...this is USP...I'm stranded by outpost...uh…" she looked around, and didn't find any form of designation. The outpost was barely functional, so it made sense in a twisted way. "Can...can I get some back up?" She asked politely.

"USP, this is Ursula. Bryant deployed a search team an hour ago, then promptly passed out." Ursula sighed. "The team is north of your position, searching for the rest of the AR team."

"Oh! Good, I'll join them and help. I'll see you then, Commander Ursula." USP ended the call and put her hands on the console. "Uuu...this is impossible...how much north? How many dolls?" She didn't even have a weapon. There were a lot of discarded griffin weapons nearby, however. USP felt sick at the thought of grave-robbing. But it was better than dying.

She went outside to scavenge. Most of the handguns were not compatible with her etching, but at this point it was irrelevant. With her combat systems offline, she'd be mostly dead weight. At least she could manually aim. She finally found a weapon that suited her. She smiled happily and collected the leftover ammo. She was so caught up in her preparations that she didn't hear the heavy footsteps behind her.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 – Echo [Part 1]**

Kalina jumped up. "Commander! We are detecting a dense electronic attack! It's Papaluie."

"All troops, retreat! Get out of there now. Abandon the mission." Ursula commanded. USP hadn't come back. Some combat teams were deep in enemy territory. It was likely that they wouldn't make it. But Ursula couldn't risk the rest of her dolls getting exposed. The teams sprinted towards the nearest helicopter, dropping all the gear they could to make their escape.

Ursula sat down and put her head in her hands. "Ugh, what a mess." Kalina took a shaky breath. "Who didn't make it?" Kalina turned back to her monitor and took a slow breath.

"STEN, Astra, RFB and USP Compact. Besides these, we've lost about twenty or so dummies and we will need to decontaminate the dolls that were closest to the attack." Kalina sent the information to the large monitor in the control room. "Just when things were starting to go our way, too." Ursula nodded and leaned back in her chair. The two of them sat in the quietness of the room to try and collect themselves. But their work was not done. SAR contacted the Base.

"Commander Ursula, we are on route to base. A number of dolls are injured, please have the repair bay ready." Ursula sighed. "Also, we were able to recover the combat cores from affected dolls. If we can purge them, we might be able to use the ECHO system."

Ursula gasped. "ECHO!" She grabbed Kalina and lightly shook her. "Ah, this changes so so much." She turned to the monitor. "SAR, everything will be ready." Ursula got her things together and dragged the speechless Kalina out of the room.

The base was all abuzz as soon as the helicopters landed. Dolls and base personnel began preparing the repair bay for the incoming dolls. All the dolls that were in decent conditon jumped out and began helping the support crews. Damaged dolls and pieces came out next. The stable ones were rushed off to the repair bay, while the unstable ones were pulled to the side for emergency maintenance. The last one out was SAR, who was carrying a small bundle of combat cores. Ursula and her team came up and attached the cores to external batteries. These were taken to the armory, where the ECHO system had been set up.

Ursula hooked up the cores to the terminal. Kalina began her examination. "Astra and STEN need some work, but it looks like RFB's core is in better shape. I'll start the purging process."

"Great, that's wonderful news." Ursula let out a long sigh and slumped in her chair. "That's fantastic."

"It is….if ECHO works, this could change everything." Kalina muttered. She opened up a list of neural snapshots. "RFB and Astra didn't send and update during the mission, so they wont have any memories of the battle."

"How about USP Compact's snapshot?"

"She sent an update just before the EMP attack."

"Lovely. Let's start up the system while we wait on the others." Ursula got up and went over to another terminal. She changed some settings and loaded one of USP's dummies into the system. The doll was lifted by mechanical arms. The dummy core was removed and replaced with an active combat core. The arms put the dummy back onto the transport rack and returned to their positions.

"Was...was that it?" Ursula asked.

"Yes Commander. The system is telling me that USP's neural cloud was accepted. She has to go through maintenance, calibration, and some other system updates. The whole process will take eight hours." Ursula let out a low whistle.

"Technology is something else. Great work, Miss Kalin." She gave Kalina a high-five.

* * *

USP opened her eyes. A few more updates ran in the background, but her system was up and running now. She sat up and waited. Everything was quiet. She could focus, her head wasn't a jumbled mess. She was at peace. She practically floated out of the repair bay, completely absorbed in the solitude of her thoughts. She snapped out of her daydream when she found herself in front of Ursula's office.

USP knocked on the door. "Miss Ursula?" SAR opened the door and smiled.

"Good morning, USP Compact." She said with a pleasant smile. "Come on in, I'll call the Commander." The two dolls entered the office and chatted while they waited. Ursula arrived and the chatting continued. USP finally worked up the courage to ask about the operation. Ursula nodded slowly.

"Well, we were able to find and subdue the humans that attacked you. Most of the dolls needed significant repairs, you included." USP nodded.

"That's why my neural cloud feels…better." Ursula gave a sad chuckle.

"Its amazing what an EMP can do. I'm just glad you're in one piece. We were able to rescue the captured dolls, though we did cut it close there." SAR gave a concerned look to Ursula, who returned with a sharp glare. SAR nodded.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 – A Growing Collection**

USP stood patiently behind the blue line about twenty feet from the hospital doors. The hospital staff kept their eyes and guns trained on the little doll while they waited for the word to let her in. She slowly fixed her hair and adjusted her hat. One of the guards waved her over and they let her pass. They were not happy, to say the least. USP walked through the scanner, which beeped and turned red as she passed, and kept walking up to the front desk. She stood on her toes to see over the desk. "I am here at the request of Commander Zachary Bryant."

The receptionist just nodded. "Yes. He's down the hall." USP thanked them coldly. The receptionist made a disgusted grunt as she walked off. She ignored him, just like she ignored the glares she got as she walked towards Bryant's room. She rounded the corner and stood in the doorway of his room. One of the nurses was helping him get his jacket on. His face was pale, but he looked much stronger than he had last time. Occasionally his face would light up in pain as he moved the wrong way. The nurse looked at USP and paused.

Bryant, thankfully, broke the silence. "Ah, you're here." He thanked the nurse and slowly stood up. He stumbled forward, caught himself, then put his hand to his side. He muttered a low curse and took another step. This time, he was steady. "I'm ready. Could you get my bag, USP?" The doll lifted his things and followed a half-step behind him. The stares and off-color comments seemed to double as Bryant exited the hospital in his brilliant red jacket. USP didn't care, really. Until Bryant gave her the order to, she couldn't do anything anyway.

The two of them walked the empty streets towards the waiting helicopter. Bryant's empty sleeve flapped somberly with each step. "Ursula told me about your adventures." He said with a slight grin. "I'm glad that issue with your neural cloud has been taken care of. Still annoys me that we," he stopped and put his hand out to a nearby wall. He hissed in pain. "Still annoys me that we didn't' find out what caused it."

USP opened her mouth to say something. She stopped, mid-sentence and turned abruptly. "An SOS signal. Not Griffin or…." She muttered. Bryant raised an eyebrow, but let her lead. She started walking off the main street, deeper into the twisting side streets. Bryant followed close behind, keeping his hand close to his weapon. The two of them attracted many gazes. Several doors and windows were locked as they passed. Every noise and movement brought a surge of adrenaline. USP stopped in front of a narrow alley.

Dozens of dolls had been broken up and tossed into the darkest corners of the city. The expensive or important parts had been taken, likely sold as scrap or repurposed. The end result was the same: a mass grave for machines. Bryant and USP stood by for a moment. There was a glint of purple. USP reached for her gun and began shooting. Before Bryant had a chance to seek cover, the engagement had ended. "No more Sangvis signals detected."

"Good shooting. But why didn't we spot them sooner?"

"Perhaps the building blocked their signal? Or, maybe they were trying to hide?"

Bryant shook his head and examined the broken dolls. "No, something doesn't seem right. SF doesn't mangle and destroy other dolls: they disable it or convert into one of them." He thought for a moment. "USP, take their cores. I want to take a look at base." The doll got to work breaking them open and extracting the core. Bryant exited the alley and kept watch.

The gunshots had attracted little attention. A few people peeked out of their houses as the local police arrived. Bryant explained everything and showed some identification. They showed some obvious distain, but let him off with a warning. Bryant thanked them and waited for USP to finish. As the crowd dispersed, Bryant felt a gaze focus on him. It latched onto him and bored straight through him. Observing him, but also judging him.

The gaze belonged to a doll. She stood in the middle of the street, unmoving. Several pieces didn't belong. Whether they had been scavenged or built was unknown, but they were on rather prominent display. This doll either didn't fear the scavengers and android-haters here in the city, or she was challenging them. Her hair was tangled in knots, her hands and feet were a mess of wires and strips of cloth, and her flesh had become a sickly grey from dirt and dust. Even through the wear and tear, Bryant recognized the design. If she had been produced as a T-Doll, she would be a USP model doll. The A-Doll watched as her T-Doll counterpart emerged from the alley.

The two dolls locked eyes, the confusion spreading through both of their faces. USP seemed concerned to see her doppelganger. The A-Doll remained unflinching and unblinking. "Um…Commander? Where did this doll…?" USP asked quietly. The A-Doll tilted her head. Her exposed eye flickered slightly as it adjusted.

"C…omman…der?" The A-Doll's voice was distorted. Strained.

"Do you have the cores, USP?"

"Y-yes, commander."

"Good. We're leaving then." The two turned to leave, but not before USP took another look at the A-Doll. The Doll kept her distance, but followed. Every couple of feet, the two would look over their shoulders, and the Doll would pause until two started moving again, like a lost puppy or starving animal. The A-Doll was quiet and patiently followed them.

The helicopter was in sight now. Bryant stopped and turned around for the last time. The A-Doll stopped and watched. Bryant sighed. "USP…deal with it." His words were like ice, void of feeling. USP looked to him again. He nodded slowly. USP put her bag down and approached the A-Doll.

"Please leave immediately."

"No."

"'N-no'?! You cannot refuse."

"I am only instructed to listen to humans." The A-Doll looked to Bryant. USP snapped to get the attention back to her.

"I've been given Command Authority _by_ a human."

"I am…not a soldier." The A-Doll said, getting closer. "…I failed the test." The doll looked straight at USP. "I was thrown out. I hate it here. Let me try again. Take me as scrap. Use me for target practice. Just…" USP turned to Bryant.

"Commander…I don't…"

Bryant sighed in defeat. "We can't just adopt any stray we find. We don't have enough room on base." USP and the A-Doll looked at him. He could feel sadness from both of them. "Plus, she already failed the test. We can't assign her to T-Doll work without an etching." USP and the A-Doll exchanged a glance. USP looked back to Bryant while the A-Doll looked at the ground. Bryant sighed and turned to the helicopter.

"Alright, fine." Bryant said.

"Wait, really?!"

"Yeah, yeah, y'all suck." He muttered. "Guilt tripping an injured old man." Bryant stormed off to the helicopter. "USP, I'll be counting on you to keep up the good work," Bryant held out his good hand towards the A-Doll, "and you, little A-Doll, had better pass the test this time. Otherwise, I'll be _pissed_."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 – Newcomer**

The A-Doll was in the repair bay, awaiting her Fire Control Core and weapon etching. In the meantime, Bryant and Ursula administered some tests to check up on her mentally. Not that Griffin really cared: there were plenty of mentally unstable dolls under their employ. The tests were just to uncover flaws in the underlying programming. Electronic warfare was the number one cause of T-Doll losses lately. HQ was now focused on making sure the dolls had as few vulnerabilities as possible.

The questions were standard fare for this kind of work. Questions regarding authorities, squad leaders, basic combat situations, basic tactics, battlefield survival, and on. The questions were interrupted by Bryant dropping his clipboard. Ursula shot him a concerned glance before resuming.

"Next question: your echelon comes under fire and you are the leader. The engagement is going poorly. Do you remain in combat?"

"Depends on our orders and the enemy."

"Your orders are to take the enemy HQ. Assume Heavy Damage protocols are enabled and it is a Sangvis patrol."

"I would remain in combat until we are unable to continue. We would save enough of our strength to safely retreat." The A-Doll nodded. Bryant wrapped his arm around his clipboard to take notes. He interrupted Ursula with a question of his own.

"Same Question, but assume your target is a Ringleader." The A-Doll turned to Bryant. She paused for a moment.

"Then we fight to the last. Expend every effort and resource to eliminate or damage the target before we are defeated." The two Commanders took notes after exchanging a glance. Ursula resumed her questioning.

"Next Question: the enemy has a forti-" Bryant cursed as his clipboard fell again. Bryant coughed sheepishly before gathering his things and leaving. Ursula played with a lock of hair "The enemy has a fortification placed near a choke point. How do you go about the battle?"

"What are my orders for the mission?" Ursula paused.

"You seem fond of asking about orders. Why is that?"

"I am a Doll. The only things I must consider are my orders." Ursula jotted down a quick thought.

"I see. What about when you don't have orders? What if both your squad leader and the Commander are incapacitated? " the A-Doll looked at Ursula. She nodded slowly.

"I would contact HQ for orders."

"HQ does not respond. "

"I would check with other Dolls for orders."

"There are no other dolls."

"Then I would contact logistics officer Kalina for further or-"

"You have no orders!" Ursula shouted. She quickly out her head down in her notes to avoid eye contact. "Assume there is a worst-case scenario: SF blitz, the commander is captured, something like that. You have no orders. You must make a decision for yourself." The A-Doll was quiet. Ursula wrote down her last note. "Well, it looks like your core is ready. You will likely receive a handgun as your imprinted weapon. But first, we will need to test you on the firing range." The A-Doll nodded.

The pair entered the firing range just as USP and Bryant finished setting up the targets. Bryant was having difficulty positioning the targets while USP loaded the firearms. Bryant shoved the last sandbag into place and let out a colorful string of curses. He clutched his chest and wheezed. Ursula shook her head and turned to USP. "Are we all set?"

"Almost ma'am." She spoke without pausing her task. Her hands moved carefully. The A-Doll watched in awe, studying USP's movements. The A-Doll sat down and began helping USP load magazines.

"Not too shabby, yeah?" Bryant muttered as he gently rubbed his side. "She's taking nicely to this."

"Perhaps." Ursula took a look at her notes. "I did not like some of her responses. To put it bluntly, she's horribly unstable."

"But within the tolerable range, huh?" Bryant sighed. "Although, to be honest, some of the lovely lasses we employ could use some therapy." He watched as the two dolls set up at the shooting range. "But...damn, she's been through a lot."

"Did you look at her neural cloud? You know that's against the rules."

"Didn't stop you, did it?" Bryant said quietly.

"Fair." Ursula replied with a shrug. The two Commanders put in earplugs and shared notes. They discussed pay, housing, and the usual benefits a doll would get. The base was tight on resources, but they could make the room. The drum of gunfire drowned out some of the conversation.

When the gunfire stopped, USP and the new doll approached the Commanders. "Commander, I'm ready." She gently handed Ursula the weapon she had chosen.

"Alright, we'll finish your imprint and get you combat ready. Welcome to Griffin, USP Compact."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 – Subtle Differences**

The base was buzzing with activity. Sangvis activity had increased by an exponential amount in the last week or so. If Ursula was superstitious, she'd have believed Bryant was at the center of all the chaos. It was him or the Spec Ops dolls they were 'hunting' for. Anywhere that team went, trouble was sure to follow. Strangely, that was not the only source of the confusion in the base. It had to do with the new doll that the team had picked up.

"USP, did you run those scans of Area 22?" Ursula asked.

"Commander? But…I thought you put me in charge of Area 05?"

"Oh…must have been the other one…" Ursula mumbled quietly. "Sorry USP. I'll take the report of 05, however." The doll sent the data over to Ursula and walked away to continue her job. Ursula wandered the base looking for the other USP and the proper report. Ursula continued to mix the two up, and it felt like she was the only one. She had mixed them up for combat drills, dormitory assignment, echelon assignment, and now what job she had given them.

She made her way to her office to sulk. Bryant was typing away at his computer. Or, trying to. She could hear his teeth grinding in frustration from across the room. Both USPs entered the room and cornered the commanders. One of them spoke up.

"Commander Ursula, Commander Bryant: the humans can't tell us apart!"

"It's very disheartening."

Ursula pulled at her collar. "Look, I'm just under a lot of stress. I haven't mixed you up that much…"

"Thirty-five times today alone, Commander Ursula." The two dolls got closer to their Commanders. "And it's not just you. Miss Kalin, too.

"And the Technicians have been mixing up our parts and updates."

"And Springfiend had to check my IFF because the lunch lady thought I had already eaten!" Ursula looked away and stuttered a bit. Bryant, pushed his keyboard away in frustration and got up.

"Sounds rough. I'm sorry about that." He got up and put a hand on one of the USP's. "Just give them time, newbie. Humans need a lot of time to adjust." Both dolls looked up at Bryant with pleasant surprise. The new doll put her hand over top Bryant's.

"How did you do that, Commander?" She asked.

"I could always tell my adorable subordinates apart. Each one of you is unique." He said with a devilish grin. The new doll gave a warm smile, but the older doll was skeptical.

"I think it was more of a lucky guess." Bryant raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes, I believe that." The older doll said with a smirk. "If you could do it, some of the other humans would have been able to as well. Blind luck." Bryant made a face and shrugged.

"Are you willing to prove it? If I mix the two of you up, you both get three weeks paid vacation, redeemable whenever." Ursula winced. It was obviously a trap: the reward was too good to be true. But both dolls fell for his trap. It was almost comical, but Ursula felt a little bad for the dolls.

"Yes!" They both cried in unison.

"Alrighty then. You have until we find the M4A1's friends. Once we get a location on them, it's over. Deal?" The two dolls exchanged a look and nodded.

"Deal!"

"Wondeful. You can start trying tomorrow." The dolls left the room discussing plots and plans to earn that sweet vacation deal. Ursula watched in shock. Once the doors closed, Bryant turned to her with a smile. Her jaw hung open for a few moments.

"How…?"

"You probably guessed, but yes: I am cheating." He said with a wink. "If you figure it out, I'll give you FNC's confiscated sweets stash."

"I'll pass." She said without hesitation. Bryant shrugged. He sat down at his desk and got back to his work, like a spider waiting to catch his prey.

And catch them he did. Over and over. The two dolls tried everything to get him tripped up. They ambushed him during meals, during intelligence reports, and sometimes in the dead of night. They switched uniforms, wore masks, synced their personalities and voice. Nothing could mix him up. He would be able to tell which one was which. Even from a distance, even in security feeds and photos.

On the last day, one of them came sprinting into the communications room dressed in a ridiculous attempt to hide her identity. She handed Ursula the report and grabbed Bryant's empty sleeve. Bryant lowered his tablet slightly and made eye contact. "Well?" the doll asked, her voice distorted. He raised an eyebrow and turned back to his tablet.

"Yulia, please stop using Zerner to alter the newbie's settings. Come out from wherever you're hiding." There was a slight stomp from the hallway as the older doll came into the room. The newer doll stared at Bryant with admiration again.

"Wow…I don't believe it." USP muttered. She grabbed Bryant's sleeve again. "How did you do it?" Bryant chuckled and looked to Ursula.

"What does the report say?" He asked.

"We got 'em. I'll tell M4 and we'll start the operation."

"Good. Good." The two USP dolls looked at him expectantly. "I guess you want to know how I did it, huh?" They nodded in unison.

"Alright." He gently tapped the two of them on the head. "New girl: you wear your hat perfectly on center, but you never worry about it. You speak with an odd cadence. Your eyes are a shade darker than Yulia's, you are rigid and stiff when you move, and your hair is a good inch shorter." He turned to the older doll.

"You, on the other hand, adjust your hat six to seven times an hour but it is always slightly off-center. You are quieter and your vocal inflection is more natural. Other than that, you two are nearly identical." Bryant put his tablet down and rummaged in his pocket. "Which is why I asked Miss Kalin for these." He pulled out two strands of ribbon.

"For us?"

"Yup." He gave an exaggerated wince. "You wouldn't believe how much these cost me." Each doll took one. "Just tie it up in a visible spot." He smiled softly. "And, to avoid confusion on-base, I'm going to let everyone know that Yulia is wearing the green ribbon." The doll blushed and covered her face with her hat. He turned to the other doll. "You'll just be 'USP'. Fair?" She nodded and clutched her ribbon.

"Yes, Commander." The two of them wandered off, much more quietly than they had entered.

"Ya know, Bryant, I'm impressed. You managed to pick up on those little differences. It was kinda cute."

"Hm? Oh? Yeah. It was tough at first, but it became easier over time."

"…what?"

"I synced my tablet to Yulia's IFF after she mentioned the cafeteria thing. Set it vibrate every so often while she was nearby." Ursula was stunned for a second. "I told you I cheated."

"That's…that's awful! Those poor girls didn't stand a chance!" Ursula hissed. Bryant laughed.

"No, no they didn't. Anyway, we have to find M4's team." He reached for his tablet and tried to type something on it. Ursula paused for a second and sighed. She was very glad she didn't take his bet. She never would have guessed he was _that_ underhanded.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 – SOPMOD**

M4 and Ursula had similar reactions to the swathe of destruction. The SF dolls had been torn to pieces and scattered almost ceremoniously. A lone figure sat upon a throne of corpses, picking through the fallen foes. Bryant had a wry smile on his face as the Doll continued her work. "Is this our girl?"

M4 nodded and took a wary step forward. "SOPMOD?"

The Doll turned. She locked eyes with M4 and let out an excited gasp. She scampered down the pile and embraced M4. She let out an innocent laugh as M4 tried to push her away. Ursula tried to hold back her laughter. "Glad we found you, M4 SOPMOD II." The Doll let go of M4 and dove towards Ursula. Human and Doll went tumbling to the ground.

"Thanks for rescuing my sister!" She said. Ursula let out a gasp for air that was completely ignored. SOPMOD got up and turned to Bryant. He smiled and held out his hand.

"Welcome." SOPMOD ignored his hand and grabbed his empty sleeve.

"Woah~. I thought humans couldn't detach their limbs." She flopped the sleeve around for a bit before worming her hand up into it. M4A1 squeaked in embarrassment as SOPMOD played. "Is it getting fixed?"

"SOP! That is no way to talk to the Commander!"

"Ah!" SOPMOD's smile became more serious. She saluted with the arm still stuck in Bryant's sleeve. "Im M4 SOPMOD II of the AR team! I look forward to working with you." M4 turned red and covered her face. Ursula dusted herself off.

"She has lots of... enthusiasm."

"She does." M4 said with a strained laugh. SOPMOD smiled and reached into her pockets.

"I got you a gift! See: still in one piece!" She held out an eye towards M4. "I have the other, so now we match!" Ursula interrupted the 'tender' moment by clearing her throat.

"M4 SOPMOD II, where is ST AR 15?" The mood got dark very quickly. The Doll's red eyes seemed to glow in anger.

"AR 15 and I were being chased by the Ringleader Hunter. We did our best, but she told me to run while she lured Hunter away." She tightened the grip on her gun. "We need to take her down and save AR15."

They quickly set up a camp and rolled out a paper map of the area. SOPMOD pointed to a spot on the map. "AR 15 was headed this way." Bryant nodded slowly. Ursula frowned.

"That's a dangerous area. Wide open, for the most part. Not much for cover until you get to the old city. The craters will hinder our deployment options." She put a hand on her chin. "And Hunter is a pursuit Doll. She'll have more of an advantage here, like when we fought Executioner."

"M4," Bryant turned to the Doll, "your input?" M4 jolted slightly.

"Um...AR 15 is really strong. I...I think that she can figure out how to avoid the Ringleader...lure her into the city.."

"Yeah! And she could probably take her too, if she could get her alone."

"Alone, huh…" Bryant mumbled. Ursula turned her head.

"What are you thinking, Bryant?" All eyes turned to him. He was quiet for a moment before pointing to another spot by the ruins.

"I think I can get clearance to drop your teams here, near the shelter. This will let you launch a pincer attack." He traced a line down the two paths.

"That will let us bypass some of the SF vanguard in the open area." M4 said. "However, Hunter will see us coming for sure. We'll be trapped if anything goes wrong…"

"We don't have enough firepower. I can whip up a combat team, but we'll need more Dolls and logistical support for repairs. Commander Bryant, can I count on you for that?" Ursula asked. He shrugged.

"Sure. I'll scrounge something together. I'll have techs on standby and reroute some ammo shipments. Not sure where I'll get a combat team though." M4 cleared her throat.

"Let SOPMOD and I help, too. AR15 is our sister. We will fight to get her back." SOPMOD agreed. Ursula and Bryant exchanged a glance. They turned their gaze to their adjutants. The dolls nodded.

"They won't be anything like your team, M4. We aren't clandestine or elites. Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't...feel like an elite. I'd be honored to work with you."

"Mhm! And more allies means more dead Sangvis!"

"Alright," Ursula said with a clap, "Sounds like a plan."

"Let's get to work, then." SAR gently put a hand on SOPMOD. "I'll help you get supplied." Yulia saluted the commanders and followed.

"USP," Bryant stretched, "let's get you set up. I'm going to put you in charge of Logistics Team 7."

"Ill make a mission brief. I'll send a copy after im finished." Ursula said. She was very distracted by the mission. "However, I'm not sure what to do with the Sangvis blockade. And this heliport looks too hot, maybe we should try a more calm insertion point…" She rambled on about contingencies and alternate routes. Bryant nodded absently and continued with USP.

He could hardly contain his jumpy nerves. But, he was also excited. The chance to prove his worth again. The dread of facing another Ringleader. M4 probably felt the same, he thought. She was similar to him; a commander ready to get back into action. Both of them wore a mask to hide the unease for the sake of their teammates.

The anticipation, anxiety, and dread was time for uncertainty was over. The hunt was about to begin.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31 – Preparations**

The sounds of pursuit had died down again. ST AR 15 paused for a brief moment, ready to continue evading the Ringleader. She took slow breaths and reloaded her weapon. Several red dots entered her sensor range. More SF troops. More pursuit units, from the look of it. The Sangvis Mastermind was sparing nothing now. It seemed that capturing the AR team had become their top priority almost overnight. Escape would be cut off soon. "Time to move…" she said to no one and lured them closer to the city.

* * *

Yulia and USP found Bryant by the truck. He was finishing up a call. "...Good to go? Nice, nice. ...This makes us even, yeah. … great, thanks again." There was an uncomfortable pause. Bryant swallowed hard and scratched at his cheek. He grumbled something over the line and hung up. He looked at the ground, making a sound between a growl and a sob. The two dolls approached.

"Commander, Ursula is getting ready for the operation. We received permission to use the landing zone by the shelter." USP said with a salute.

"You sound surprised," Byrant said. He received quickly, Yulia noted. She couldn't tell if it was admirable or unhealthy.

"I was... skeptical. To be blunt, Commander…" she hesitated, "I still do not trust humans. But, maybe I trust you…" Bryant chuckled.

"What? Not human enough for you?" Bryant said with a laugh.

"That's not…" USP started to say something, then just whined and turned away. Yulia fidgeted in place. Bryant's laugh died out to a chuckle. Once he had calmed down, his face got dark and serious.

"USP and SAR will be assisting the AR team during the operation. Yulia;" the doll saluted, "you will help me provide battlefield support." Yulia nodded slightly. USP ran off to join up with her team. Yulia stayed behind. Bryant held his arm across his chest. He was trying to cross his arms to think. It was difficult to do with only one arm. He stayed quiet for a moment, mumbling under his breath with silent words.

"Commander, the operation…" Yulia said gently.

"Hm?"

"I am to assist you. What should I do first?" She asked, eager to begin. Bryant was once again silent. "That... conversation...was it serious?"

"Yulia."

"Yes?"

"Get one of the standby Dolls. SKS or FN-49… any sniper, really. We need range."

"Range?"

"To draw some fire." He said quietly.

"Just the one?"

"You need to move fast, quiet. Just the necessary supplies. No dummies." Yulia opened her mouth and hesitated. This was unexpected, and it was dangerous. A single slip-up, and it was over. Mechanical instinct was overcome with terror.

"I…u-understand Commander. But-"

"Oh? Did I hear that you need a sniper?" A sultry voice whispered from the other side of the truck. Bryant jumped and scrambled away. DSR 50 gave a seductive giggle as the he recovered.

"Goddamn it! Where did you come from?"

"I would be more than willing to help, Commander." The doll said with her usual tone. DSR 50 ran a hand down her rifle slowly. "You'll find that I am just as effect at a distance as I am up close." Yulia took a step back. The other doll bit her lip and gently cupped Yulia's cheeks. "And I would absolutely adore the chance to spend more time with this cutie." Bryant sighed.

"Commander Ursula is going to need your help, DSR. She told me as much yesterday."

"Oh? Is that so? Perhaps we could keep this to ourselves?" Bryant narrowed his eyes at the doll, who returned a sultry gaze. Yulia was still being held by her cheeks and was getting more flustered by the second. "Or, maybe we could come to an…agreement?" Yulia let out an embarrassed shriek as DSR 50 pulled her closer. Bryant was about to say something. His shoulders eased back and a curious smile flashed for the briefest of moments.

"Perhaps we can, DSR 50….perhaps we can." He turned his back to them and started walking towards his post. "I've picked a special spot for you two." A shudder went through DSR and – by proxy – Yulia. He ignored them and kept walking. "Hurry up and get ready." He pulled out his phone and dialed a number that the dolls couldn't trace.

The Helicopter blades whirled overhead as the dolls prepared to launch. Ursula jumped into Bryant's chopper in a frenzy. "SF forces have redeployed around the city! There is a single Griffon signal near the center."

"Our doll." Ursula nodded. "And that means our battle plan changed." Ursula nodded again.

"My backup team will launch from the Northwest to support M4's team. They will deploy from the landing pad just north of the city."

"I'll move the decoy teams to the abandoned Command post to the east."

"Teams?"

"Yulia and DSR are going to scout the nearby areas to keep an eye on Sangvis reinforcements." Bryant said without making eye contact.

"That wasn't the plan." Bryant shrugged softly.

"Plans change." Ursula couldn't help but chuckle.

"You're an ass, Bryant." Ursula adjusted her headpiece and connected to the rest of the dolls. "Alright ladies, we have less than ten minutes 'till go time. Let's get this done and bring ST AR 15 home." The crew was ready and the plans were in motion. The helicopter blades whirred softly overhead. Bryant looked out his window and caught his breath. There was a flicker of movement down below. Not SF, not Griffon, but certainly not human. _Looks like everything is in place,_ He thought with a grimace.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 – Silence**

Chaos ruled the battlefield. The only hope for the Griffin team was the chaos itself. It meant that the plan was working, for better or worse. From the minute the helicopters touched down, the fighting started. M4s team pushed south towards the city center, while the rest of the dolls creating mini-crises that SF had to respond to. Bryant cracked the slightest smile. The scene was something out of his most twisted, war-fueled fever dreams. Screams and gunfire provided the soundtrack for the firefights and discarded pieces that littered the ground. It was like watching the tides. Squads broke against each other in fierce gunfights, then broke off to regroup and reorganize, before rolling back towards the enemy.

The radio clicked. "Bryant, report in." He forced himself to look away from the tapestry of war.

"Drone picture coming in clear. Got a good view of the battlefield." He pushed a few buttons to cycle through the feeds. _Wish we had more drones. And screens. And Dolls…_ "You getting the feed?"

"Mostly. Can't see FNC's team or overwatch."

"I'm working on that…" He managed the drones for a bit. "Drone Twelve has a broken lens. Stray shot, maybe? Thirteen is down, status unknown." A lie, but a necessary one. "Redirecting Three and Seven. Stand by…" The drones veered off course, giving a cinematic view of the battlefield. The scene was brutal, but entrancing. Bryant switched on the radio. "STEN, have your team switch with STG. Any word from FNC?" A small window popped up over one of the battle maps. STENs profile popped up with squad status and other important bits of information. Info on STG and her team popped up shortly afterwards.

"Negative, Commander."

"I see...take a break and resupply."

"Will do!" STG connected.

"Commander, a request." The doll said tenderly.

"Ah, yes, of course."

"The enemy is attacking much more fiercely." She said. "Is it possible, Commander, to give us some reinforcements? I don't think we can handle this alone."

"I'll see what I can do." He said as he connected Yulia to the call. "Did you get that, overwatch?"

"Yup, loud and clear." Yulia answered. He heard DSR 50 mumble something in the background. STG and STEN disconnected, leaving them alone.

"How do things look?" He asked as the drones settled into position. FNC's team had strayed off course, but they were fighting well.

"DSR 50 keeps complaining about engagement distances. And, … many other things." He heard an embarrassed squeak. "SF Jaegers are pinning us down from outside our range. Can we advance?"

"Yes. Stay at maximum engagement distance."

"But Commander!" USP tried to protest. The communication was briefly interrupted by sniper fire.

"I agree with the small one, Commander." DSR's voice lacked the usual teasing tone. "I can't perform under this much pressure."

"You have your orders, DSR 50." He murmured. "How is the drone?"

"Fine. I'm almost finished with the IFF. It should be ready to launch in a few minutes…if we can get rid of the snipers. Commander…I don't-"

"Get it done in sixty seconds and I'll buy you all the cake you can eat when we get back." The line was quiet. Bryant raised an eyebrow at the screen.

"…consider it done." Yulia said with renewed energy.

"Good. You two need to take some pressure off of STG and STEN." Bryant heard DSR give a dejected sigh.

"Of course, Commander. I will serve, as always." She said. Bryant rolled his eyes.

"DSR, have you ever seen the Command Room?"

"Of course not. Only adjutans are allowed in there." Her words were filled with sadness and anger. Bryant shrugged to no one.

"I have to get back to M4. But, if you-"

"A moment, Commander." DSR interrupted. The line went completely dead. The loud, garbled blast of a gunshot echoed from his headset. USP confirmed the kill a second later. "You were saying?"

"Get me 29 more, DSR." He smirked and switched lines before she could react. He focused all the screens onto M4's team. Warning messages flashed on the screen: Enemy Ringleader detected. He took a slow breath. _Well, it's up to ST AR 15 now. _Bryant dismissed the warning and returned his eyes to the screen. The showdown was about to begin.

* * *

ST AR 15 breathed rapidly. She was exhausted, but SF kept coming. Sniper fire tore through her cover. She forced herself to her feet and returned fire while looking for anything to hide behind. Not much was left. She cursed herself for getting backed into a corner. A stupid, fatal error.

Another warning tone buzzed in her ear. She grunted and sprinted from what was left of her cover. An explosion rocked the desolate buildings and decimated the spot where ST AR had been. Hunter had deployed Jaguars: mechanized missile launchers. These things harassed Griffin dolls at the farthest reaches of the battlefield. At least she could move out of the way, but that kept her constantly in the open and an easy target for the snipers.

She took a few steps and was struck by small arms fire. Hunter and her infantry had flanked her. But there were less of them now. Still too many to make a move. The Ringleader advanced. "Already out of steam, Griffin? Is this all my prey can muster?" AR15 didn't have the energy to argue. Her energy was better put to use trying to think through the haze and exhaustion. She moved to avoid another missile.

She ran as hard as she could. No sniper fire this time. It was clear that Hunter was having trouble with the rescue team. "Looks like you're bleeding troops, Sangvis. Is this all a Ringleader can muster?" ST AR said. Hunter roared through clenched teeth. she pointed to the north.

"Turn them into scrap. I'll deal with this one alone." The missile warnings ceased as the Jaguars repositioned. ST AR let out a long sigh. This was perfect, a chance to strike. She peeked out from cover and took the shot. Hunter stumbled forward and turned. "It's over!" The Ringleader drew both her guns and started attacking. The bullets tore through the cover separating the two. ST AR kept her distance and attacked when she could.

There was a gap in the fire. She popped up and saw Hunter standing still. As she lined up the shot, Hunter's eyes lit up and she pivoted with blinding speed. ST AR gasped and tried to dodge. A storm of gunfire shredded everything that Hunter's guns were aimed at. She kept shooting with a cold glare. Damage warnings flashed everywhere ST AR looked. The storm kept coming, pushing her to the limit. The gunfire slowed back to its normal rate.

ST AR grimaced as she checked her wounds. Major damage, but she could move and she could shoot. The most pressing was her power output. She was rapidly losing power. She had maybe a few more minutes before she had to turn off her combat software to keep her core online. The gunfire stopped again. ST AR ran as Hunter's volley started again. Hunter followed her as she ran. Several close calls later, and the two dolls were separated by a concrete pillar.

Hunter and ST AR were both exhausted and overheated. There was nowhere else for them to run or hide. The gunfire stopped again. ST AR turned and fired at Hunter's leg. The bullet tore through the limb and Hunter dropped. ST AR caught her breath and kept shooting. She crippled limb after limb until Hunter was unable to fight back.

"There... _now _it's over…" She said with a casual tone. Hunter grunted and struggled to her hands and knees. "Any last words?" She reached for one of her guns, but ST AR kicked her hand away, forcing her back to the ground. "I suppose not." Hunter looked up with a damaged face and a spiteful smile.

"...whatever. I did my job."

ST AR 15 pulled the trigger.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33 – Body Count**

DSR 50 took another shot. The drone overhead snapped a picture and reported back. Yulia nodded. "Kill confirmed. That's … mmm, thirteen? Fourteen? Something like that." The drone flew lazily overhead as the dolls hid in the shade. If they ignored the occasional bullet that soared by them, it was a perfect day for a picnic. DSR killed another SF sniper and began reloading.

She had a strange look on her face. She squirmed on the ground between each shot. Each kill only seemed to make her worse. Yulia stared with disgust. She ignored her, and kept whispering to her gun. Yulia had to look away as another SF doll fell. "Ah~ just a few more." Another shot, another kill. "A few more." Another shot. "More." Another shot. But it was not one from her rifle.

An enemy doll exploded. DSR looked up and Yulia whipped around with her weapon drawn. There was a flash of light from beyond their range. Another shot obliterated another doll. DSR's jaw dropped and Yulia frantically searched for the sniper. Another shot found a target. The dolls recovered from their shock. "If this keeps up…" DSR's face twisted with emotion "I won't get thirty!" She picked up her rifle and took off running to a better vantage point. The movement exposed her to the enemy. The new position had no cover. She would be alone with her rifle and the enemy bullets.

She lay down and began to take aim. She squeezed the trigger. Her target collapsed. A bullet hit her shoulder. She ignored it and squeezed the trigger again. The mysterious sniper continued shooting. The drone overhead recorded every shot from both snipers. Yulia continued confirming kills as she advanced to a more secure position. "Um…DSR…there are a lot of them coming now. We need to-"

"Not yet, I can pick off a few stragglers." She replied with determination. She tried to keep pace with the other sniper and the enemy reinforcements. She got a handful of shots out before the enemy had locked onto them. An entire squad began to approach.

"We need to go!" Yulia cried and ran towards DSR. The sniper responded by jumping to one knee. She increased her speed at the cost of accuracy. "DSR!"

"I…can…get more of them!" The roar of her gun drowned out nearly all else. The empty shells bounced off the rock to the rhythm of the gunfire. More bullets struck her. The damage caused a brief lapse in firing, which in turn caused her to take more damage. Yulia moved to grab her but froze.

"DSR, missile incoming!" She tried to grab the sniper, but she wouldn't budge. Yulia dove for cover as the missile slammed into the ground next to DSR 50. Yulia coughed and brushed the dust from her face. A faint whimper came from the direction of her partner. She was sprawled on the ground and crying from the pain. Yulia ran over and draped her over her shoulder. "Geez, you should have listened to me." She looked back towards the approaching enemy and froze. There was a flash of light, an explosion or something, and the approaching enemies were destroyed. Yulia saw some movement on the horizon. A figure stood beyond the range Yulia could identify them. A black speck against a wall of blue. The figure turned and walked out of sight.

* * *

The two dolls were repaired and standing at Bryant's desk after the operation. The drone's recording had revealed everything to him. He was quiet and somber for a time. He replayed the scene of the missile's impact for the fifth time during his silence. He took a breath.

"Yulia."

"Y-y-yes?"

"I've spoken with Springfield and Kalina. You are exempt from the ice cream rationing for one week." The doll nodded and tried to conceal her smile. "DSR 50."

"Yes, Commander?"

"Only twenty-six kills. And that's being generous. I'm still not done analyzing the footage."

"Yes, but-"

"But?"

"Um…I mean…may I explain?"

"Of course." Bryant slowly turned to Yulia. "You are dismissed Yulia. Enjoy the rest of your evening." She nodded and ran off to the mess hall without a second look.

Yulia never got a straight answer from Bryant about her excuse, but DSR 50 was given extra training drills for the week on top of the usual duties of an Adjutant.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34 – /ERROR CODE:404**

The next mission briefing was a long one. Thanks to the other two dolls of the AR team, they had located M16. She was in the mountains; dangerous terrain for even SF dolls. The Ringleader sent after her would be just as dangerous as the environment. The map of the area revealed dozens of hidden passages, alternate routes, and ambush locations. SF dolls weren't very bright on their own, but they could take advantage of those features without a ringleader guiding them. Of course, Griffin could also take advantage of them.

He flipped a page of the document and stared at a sheet of blacked out text. He raised an eyebrow. "Are we hiring mercenaries?" He pushed the paper to Ursula. "And how insanely wild are these mercenaries that we can't even see their names?" She took the paper. She looked it over for a second.

"Miss Helian didn't mention anything during my meeting with her. Perhaps we are going to meet them during the mission?" She put the paper down. "Anyway, I wanted to talk troop composition. I want to bring more…" She trailed off and turned to Bryant. He was staring out at the hallway. "What?"

"I saw something being…dragged past the door." Yulia approached the door and checked.

"It couldn't be…I don't see anything like that." Bryant stroked his moustache.

"I hope your eyesight isn't getting worse." He took off his glasses and sighed. Ursula continued the briefing after a moment. Deployment information, troop composition, enemy resistance and more were discussed, but Bryant couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

That evening, he wandered back to his room and paused at the door. The door was open the slightest amount. He narrowed his eyes but entered. Two girls were at his desk. One was playing with his Knick-knacks, the other sitting in his chair watching him. Their eyes glowed faintly in the dim light. His eyes darted to the corner of the room. A taller woman was leaning on the wall by his bed. Another one was collapsed on his bed, curled up with a rifle.

The one in his chair spoke. "Gluten Abend, Commander."

"How did you get in here?"

"It was easy," the one at his desk moved to join the one by the wall, "my sister can get through any lock."

"I could have gotten through the door just as well...if I hadn't been carrying that dead weight."

"You mean dragging?"

"Close enough." The taller one huffed with more than a hint of annoyance. The one at his desk spun in his chair while the others quieted down.

"...to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" The Doll at his desk gave him an eerie smile. The others turned their attention on him with varying emotions on their faces.

"No one." Her smile faded and she stood. "I'd like to talk about the mission, ja?" The door slid shut behind him, leaving them in the darkness.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35 – Promise [part 1]**

* * *

(Authors Note: Trigger Warning, Attempted Suicide)

* * *

"If you run the wire through here, the whole system will be powered. Easy and done."

"Yes, but then we'd lose too much integrity. It could fail; leaving the doll frozen or lighting her on fire."

"Da, I agree. I may be old, but I'm not ready to go just yet."

"You can just repair the dolls, right?"

"Not the point." Yulia sat by Bryant and waited for his order. UMP 45 leaned over his shoulder to watch the two of them work. M1895 stood over his other shoulder. They were trying to solve the heating issue that had been brought to their attention. While dolls could operate in nearly any environment, the extreme cold and heat could cause problems. More advanced dolls like 45 already had sufficient upgrades, but most dolls couldn't operate effectively in the extremes. Granted, if some of them had made better clothing choices, it wouldn't be a problem.

The group of them bickered among themselves and tried out different methods. They had only lost two dummies so far. Bryant held up his hand and made a motion to Yulia. They pulled the entire rig off the dummy and worked directly with the generator and core. This proved to be the key, and they made progress.

Everyone took a step back to look at their work. The dummy was operational. Sure, it was hideous looking without its skin, but it worked. Bryant took a moment to appreciate the work he had done in such a short time. He motioned to Yulia for his tablet. "Get me…" he thought for a moment and scrolled through the roster of dolls, "M1895…DP-28…SKS…OTs-12… and, how about…" he rubbed his chin. "No, that's good for now." As soon as he finished, a doll came sprinting around the corner.

"Commander! I heard that there was an operation going on!" The doll never stopped going full speed. She crashed into Yulia and gently tugged on Bryant's empty sleeve. "You gotta let me come along!" MT-9 flashed a bright smile.

"No, sorry. My team is full."

"Aw, c'mon! I've improved lately."

"Indeed, you have. However, we will be running logistics. You'll be doing a lot of sitting. Your skills aren't suited for defense operations."

"Okay, I can do that! I'm an ace on logistics."

"This is a mountain expedition. It's going to be cold."

"I can operate in any climate, guaranteed!" Bryant gave her a skeptical glare. She gave a bright smile and slightly tugged on his sleeve. He rolled his eyes and crossed DP-28 off his list and added her to his list. MT-9 chuckled happily. "You won't be disappointed. I'll go get ready now." She gave a salute as she exited the room. 45 chuckled.

"So, this is how the rumored Bryant works? Interesting." He returned a grin.

"Stick around; things'll get more interesting." He stretched. "Alright, I need to get these plans to the techs. Everyone, get ready for the mission."

* * *

Bryant found his chosen dolls sitting around a table with several bottles of liquor and a loaded revolver. "What's, uh…goin on here?"

"Ah, Commander! We were just going to play a game Babushka taught us." M1895 smiled and held up a bottle.

"Care to join us, Commander?"

"I'll pass. Thanks. "

"Your loss." M1895 said as she spun the revolver around the table. "I miss this. I feel a sense of nostalgia for home…" She trailed off. The other dolls sat quietly as the gun continued spinning. "Is this really it, Commander?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," SKS took a shot, "We've heard rumors…We're worried that we'll get redeployed after the AR Team mission is finished."

"Don't worry about that." Bryant said, taking his seat between two dolls. "Griffin doesn't throw out hard workers." The gun started to slow.

"What about you, Commander? Didn't you…" Bryant nodded slightly.

"There's no excuse for the past." The gun started to slow. "But it's different now." The gun pointed at him. The dolls looked up quietly as Bryant took the gun. The room felt like it closed in on the table. The dolls looked more nervous than he did. He took the gun from the table and rest it on his temple in one fluid, practiced motion. There was an audible gasp. The dolls jumped up to grab the gun from him. He pulled the trigger. There was a loud snap as the hammer came down. Everyone froze. Bryant put the gun back down on the table. He slowly got up.

"I have nothing left to lose. You all at Griffin are all I have now. The only way I'll be leaving is in a body bag. That is a promise." He walked away from the table, having soured the mood even further. The dolls looked at each other while M1895 retrieved her weapon.

"I don't…want to play this game anymore." They all nodded in solemn agreement.


End file.
